होश सँभालना (hosh sambhaalnaa)
verb
A compound expression meaning 'to reach the age of awareness/consciousness' -- used almost always to talk about the point in childhood when a person's memory and understanding of the world begins.
Sense
1
:
to become aware/conscious (of one's surroundings), usually as a child growing up
verb, transitive Almost always used in the perfective with a possessive/genitive subject construction: X ने होश सँभाला (X ne hosh sambhaalaa) or जब से होश सँभाला है (jab se hosh sambhaalaa hai, 'since I've been aware/since I can remember'). होश (hosh, 'senses/consciousness') is the object, सँभालना (sambhaalnaa, 'to hold/manage') is the verb -- literally 'to take hold of one's senses'.
Synonyms: समझदार होना (samajhdaar honaa, to become sensible/aware), सूझ-बूझ आना (soojh-boojh aanaa, rare)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This phrase is how Hindi speakers talk about 'as far back as I can remember' -- a grandmother might say जब मैंने होश सँभाला, तब से यही घर देखा है (jab mainne hosh sambhaalaa, tab se yahii ghar dekhaa hai, 'since I became aware, I've only known this house'), anchoring a whole life story to the moment memory begins. It pairs naturally with बचपन (bachpan, 'childhood') in reminiscing conversations.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use this only in the simple present, but it is overwhelmingly used in the perfective (होश सँभाला (hosh sambhaalaa)) or with जब से (jab se, 'since') to mean 'for as long as I can remember.' 2) Do not confuse with होश में आना (hosh men aanaa), which means regaining consciousness after fainting or being knocked out -- a physical, momentary sense, not this developmental one.
Sample Sentences:
जब मैंने होश सँभाला, तब से यही घर देखा है।
Since I became aware of my surroundings, I have only known this house.
(jab mainne hosh sambhaalaa, tab se yahii ghar dekhaa hai।)
जब उसने होश सँभाला, तब उसके पिता नहीं थे।
By the time he grew aware of the world, his father was no longer there.
(jab usne hosh sambhaalaa, tab uske pitaa nahiin the।)
बच्चे जैसे-जैसे होश सँभालते हैं, दुनिया को समझने लगते हैं।
As children grow aware of their surroundings, they start to understand the world.
(bachche jaise-jaise hosh sambhaalte hain, duniyaa ko samajhne lagte hain।)
मुझे याद है, बचपन में होश सँभालते ही मैंने अपनी माँ को खेतों में काम करते देखा था।
I remember, as soon as I became aware in childhood, I saw my mother working in the fields.
(mujhe yaad hai, bachpan men hosh sambhaalte hii mainne apnii maan ko kheton men kaam karte dekhaa thaa।)
अभी तो बच्चा है, होश सँभालेगा तो सब समझ जाएगा।
He is just a child right now; once he grows old enough to be aware, he will understand everything.
(abhii to bachchaa hai, hosh sambhaalegaa to sab samajh jaaegaa।)
काश मैं थोड़ा जल्दी होश सँभाल लेता, तो अपने दादा जी को बेहतर याद रख पाता।
If only I had become aware a little earlier, I would have been able to remember my grandfather better.
(kaash main thodaa jaldii hosh sambhaal letaa, to apne daadaa jii ko behtar yaad rakh paataa।)
इस गाँव में तो हमने होश सँभालने से पहले से ही बिजली नहीं देखी थी।
In this village, we hadn't seen electricity even before we grew old enough to be aware.
(is gaanv men to hamne hosh sambhaalne se pahle se hii bijlii nahiin dekhii thii।)
जब तक बच्चे होश नहीं सँभाल लेते, उन्हें अच्छे-बुरे की पहचान नहीं होती।
Until children grow aware of their surroundings, they cannot tell good from bad.
(jab tak bachche hosh nahiin sambhaal lete, unhen achchhe-bure kii pahchaan nahiin hotii।)
उसने होश सँभालते ही अपने आस-पास गरीबी देखी और मन में एक ठान लिया।
As soon as he became aware of his surroundings, he saw poverty around him and made up his mind about something.
(usne hosh sambhaalte hii apne aas-paas gariibii dekhii aur man men ek thaan liyaa।)
मेरी नानी अक्सर कहती हैं कि उन्होंने होश सँभालते ही चूल्हा जलाना सीख लिया था।
My grandmother often says that as soon as she became old enough to be aware, she had learned to light the stove.
(merii naanii aksar kahtii hain ki unhonne hosh sambhaalte hii choolhaa jalaanaa siikh liyaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
to regain composure or self-control (after a shock, fear, or strong emotion)
verb, transitive Used when someone recovers their composure after a jolt, e.g. डर के मारे बदहवास हो गया, फिर होश सँभाला (dar ke maare badahvaas ho gayaa, phir hosh sambhaalaa, 'he panicked from fear, then pulled himself together').
Synonyms: संभलना (sambhalnaa, to steady oneself), खुद को काबू करना (khud ko kaaboo karnaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense overlaps in flavor with होश में आना (hosh men aanaa) but leans more toward regaining emotional/mental composure rather than physical consciousness -- think of steadying your nerves rather than waking up from a faint.
Sample Sentences:
दुर्घटना देखकर वह काँप गई, फिर धीरे-धीरे होश सँभाला।
She trembled at the sight of the accident, then slowly pulled herself together.
(durghatnaa dekhkar vah kaamp gaii, phir dhiire-dhiire hosh sambhaalaa।)
जरा होश सँभालो, रोने से कुछ नहीं होगा।
Steady yourself a bit, crying won't help.
(jaraa hosh sambhaalo, rone se kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
बुरी खबर सुनकर वह इतना घबरा गया कि होश सँभालने में उसे कई घंटे लग गए।
He was so shaken on hearing the bad news that it took him several hours to steady his nerves.
(burii khabar sunkar vah itnaa ghabraa gayaa ki hosh sambhaalne men use kaii ghante lag gae।)
अगर वह उस वक्त होश सँभाल लेती, तो शायद फैसला बेहतर होता।
If she had pulled herself together at that moment, the decision might have been better.
(agar vah us vakt hosh sambhaal letii, to shaayad phaislaa behtar hotaa।)
साहब, थोड़ा होश सँभालिए, अभी सब ठीक हो जाएगा।
Sir, please compose yourself a little, everything will be fine soon.
(saahab, thodaa hosh sambhaalie, abhii sab thiik ho jaaegaa।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम अपना होश सँभालो और शांति से सोचो।
I want you to steady yourself and think calmly.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki tum apnaa hosh sambhaalo aur shaanti se socho।)
जब भी कोई मुश्किल आती है, वह जल्दी ही अपना होश सँभाल लेती है।
Whenever a difficulty arises, she quickly regains her composure.
(jab bhii koii mushkil aatii hai, vah jaldii hii apnaa hosh sambhaal letii hai।)
भूकंप के झटकों के बाद लोग अभी भी होश सँभाल रहे हैं।
After the earthquake tremors, people are still steadying their nerves.
(bhookamp ke jhatkon ke baad log abhii bhii hosh sambhaal rahe hain।)
इस झटके के बाद पूरा परिवार अपना होश सँभालेगा, इसमें वक्त लगेगा।
The whole family will regain its composure after this shock, but it will take time.
(is jhatke ke baad pooraa parivaar apnaa hosh sambhaalegaa, ismen vakt lagegaa।)
जब तक अफसर होश सँभाले, चोर वहाँ से भाग चुका था।
By the time the officer could steady himself, the thief had already fled the place.
(jab tak aphsar hosh sambhaale, chor vahaan se bhaag chukaa thaa।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
होश सँभालना
(hosh sambhaalnaa)
infinitive oblique:
होश सँभालने
(hosh sambhaalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
होश सँभालता
(hosh sambhaaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
होश सँभालते
(hosh sambhaalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
होश सँभालती
(hosh sambhaaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
होश सँभालतीं
(hosh sambhaaltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
होश सँभाल रहा
(hosh sambhaal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
होश सँभाल रहे
(hosh sambhaal rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
होश सँभाल रही
(hosh sambhaal rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
होश सँभाल रहीं
(hosh sambhaal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
होश सँभाला
(hosh sambhaalaa)
perfective (pl.m):
होश सँभाले
(hosh sambhaale)
perfective (sg.f):
होश सँभाली
(hosh sambhaalii)
perfective (pl.f):
होश सँभालीं
(hosh sambhaaliin)
imperative (informal):
होश सँभाल
(hosh sambhaal)
imperative (neutral):
होश सँभालो
(hosh sambhaalo)
imperative (formal):
होश सँभालिए
(hosh sambhaalie)
future (1sg.m):
होश सँभालूँगा
(hosh sambhaaloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
होश सँभालूँगी
(hosh sambhaaloongii)
future (1pl.m):
होश सँभालेंगे
(hosh sambhaalenge)
future (1pl.f):
होश सँभालेंगी
(hosh sambhaalengii)
future (2sg.m):
होश सँभालेगा
(hosh sambhaalegaa)
future (2sg.f):
होश सँभालेगी
(hosh sambhaalegii)
future (2pl.m):
होश सँभालोगे
(hosh sambhaaloge)
future (2pl.f):
होश सँभालोगी
(hosh sambhaalogii)
future (3sg.m):
होश सँभालेगा
(hosh sambhaalegaa)
future (3sg.f):
होश सँभालेगी
(hosh sambhaalegii)
future (3pl.m):
होश सँभालेंगे
(hosh sambhaalenge)
future (3pl.f):
होश सँभालेंगी
(hosh sambhaalengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
होश सँभालूँ
(hosh sambhaaloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
होश सँभालें
(hosh sambhaalen)
subjunctive (2sg):
होश सँभाले
(hosh sambhaale)
subjunctive (2pl):
होश सँभालो
(hosh sambhaalo)
subjunctive (3sg):
होश सँभाले
(hosh sambhaale)
subjunctive (3pl):
होश सँभालें
(hosh sambhaalen)