देहांत होना (dehaant honaa)
verb
A polite, respectful way to say 'to pass away, to die'; देहांत (dehaant) literally means 'end of the body' and combines with होना (honaa, 'to happen') to form this euphemistic expression used for humans.
Sense
1
:
to pass away, to die (formal/respectful)
verb, intransitive The person who dies is marked with का/की/के (possessive), not से or को: उनका देहांत हो गया (unkaa dehaant ho gayaa, 'he/she passed away'), treating the death as an event belonging to the person rather than something done to them.
Synonyms: मरना (marnaa, plain, blunt), गुज़र जाना (guzar jaanaa), चल बसना (chal basnaa, literary), स्वर्गवास होना (svargvaas honaa, formal/devotional)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the phrase you reach for at a condolence visit or in a formal announcement -- it softens death the way English 'passed away' does compared to 'died.' You'll often hear it as उनका देहांत हो गया (unkaa dehaant ho gayaa, 'he/she has passed away'), with हो गया (ho gayaa) marking the completed, almost sudden nature of the event. In very devotional or old-fashioned contexts, स्वर्गवास होना (svargvaas honaa, 'to attain heaven') carries an even more elevated tone.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use this with को like other involuntary-event verbs (e.g. लगना lagnaa) -- but देहांत होना (dehaant honaa) takes का/की/के, not को: say उनका देहांत हुआ (unkaa dehaant huaa), not उनको देहांत हुआ. 2) Reserved for humans -- using it for an animal or object sounds odd or unintentionally comic; मरना (marnaa) or मर जाना (mar jaanaa) is used instead. 3) This phrase is inherently respectful, so pairing it with a casual or joking tone feels jarring to native speakers.
Sample Sentences:
कल रात उनका देहांत हो गया।
He passed away last night.
(kal raat unkaa dehaant ho gayaa।)
मुझे यह बताते हुए बहुत दुख हो रहा है कि श्रीमान शर्मा जी का देहांत हो गया है।
It gives me great sorrow to inform you that Mr. Sharma has passed away.
(mujhe yah bataate hue bahut dukh ho rahaa hai ki shriimaan sharmaa jii kaa dehaant ho gayaa hai।)
उनके पिता का देहांत बचपन में ही हो गया था।
His father had passed away when he was just a child.
(unke pitaa kaa dehaant bachpan men hii ho gayaa thaa।)
अगर डॉक्टर समय पर पहुँच जाते तो शायद उनका देहांत न होता।
If the doctor had arrived on time, perhaps he wouldn't have passed away.
(agar doktar samay par pahunch jaate to shaayad unkaa dehaant n hotaa।)
भगवान न करे, पर अगर मेरा देहांत हो जाए तो मेरी सारी संपत्ति गरीबों में बाँट दी जाए।
God forbid, but if I should pass away, let all my wealth be distributed among the poor.
(bhagvaan n kare, par agar meraa dehaant ho jaae to merii saarii sampatti gariibon men baant dii jaae।)
यह सूचित करते हुए खेद है कि आज सुबह श्रीमती वर्मा का देहांत हो गया।
We regret to inform you that Mrs. Verma passed away this morning.
(yah soochit karte hue khed hai ki aaj subah shriimtii varmaa kaa dehaant ho gayaa।)
दादाजी लंबी बीमारी के बाद देहांत को गले लगा गए।
Grandfather passed away after a long illness.
(daadaajii lambii biimaarii ke baad dehaant ko gale lagaa gae।)
क्या आपको पता चला कि मास्टर जी का देहांत हो गया है?
Did you hear that the teacher has passed away?
(kyaa aapko pataa chalaa ki maastar jii kaa dehaant ho gayaa hai?)
उम्मीद है कि जब उनका देहांत हो, तब वे शांति से जाएँ।
One hopes that when he passes away, he goes peacefully.
(ummiid hai ki jab unkaa dehaant ho, tab ve shaanti se jaaen।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
देहांत होना
(dehaant honaa)
infinitive oblique:
देहांत होने
(dehaant hone)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
देहांत होता
(dehaant hotaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
देहांत होते
(dehaant hote)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
देहांत होती
(dehaant hotii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
देहांत होतीं
(dehaant hotiin)
continuous (sg.m):
देहांत हो रहा
(dehaant ho rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
देहांत हो रहे
(dehaant ho rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
देहांत हो रही
(dehaant ho rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
देहांत हो रहीं
(dehaant ho rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
देहांत हुआ
(dehaant huaa)
perfective (pl.m):
देहांत हुए
(dehaant hue)
perfective (sg.f):
देहांत हुई
(dehaant huii)
perfective (pl.f):
देहांत हुईं
(dehaant huiin)
imperative (informal):
देहांत हो
(dehaant ho)
imperative (neutral):
देहांत होओ
(dehaant hoo)
imperative (formal):
देहांत होइए
(dehaant hoie)
future (1sg.m):
देहांत होऊँगा
(dehaant hooongaa)
future (1sg.f):
देहांत होऊँगी
(dehaant hooongii)
future (1pl.m):
देहांत होंगे
(dehaant honge)
future (1pl.f):
देहांत होंगी
(dehaant hongii)
future (2sg.m):
देहांत होगा
(dehaant hogaa)
future (2sg.f):
देहांत होगी
(dehaant hogii)
future (2pl.m):
देहांत होओगे
(dehaant hooge)
future (2pl.f):
देहांत होओगी
(dehaant hoogii)
future (3sg.m):
देहांत होगा
(dehaant hogaa)
future (3sg.f):
देहांत होगी
(dehaant hogii)
future (3pl.m):
देहांत होंगे
(dehaant honge)
future (3pl.f):
देहांत होंगी
(dehaant hongii)
subjunctive (1sg):
देहांत होऊँ
(dehaant hooon)
subjunctive (1pl):
देहांत हों
(dehaant hon)
subjunctive (2sg):
देहांत हो
(dehaant ho)
subjunctive (2pl):
देहांत होओ
(dehaant hoo)
subjunctive (3sg):
देहांत हो
(dehaant ho)
subjunctive (3pl):
देहांत हों
(dehaant hon)