महबूब (mahboob)
noun/adjective
A warm, romantic word borrowed from Urdu/Persian meaning 'beloved' -- used both as a noun (the beloved person) and as an adjective (dear, beloved). Heard constantly in Hindi film songs and ghazals.
Sense
1
:
beloved person, sweetheart
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रेमी (premii), प्रियतम (priytam, literary), जानम (jaanam, term of endearment), माशूक (maashook, variant form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries the perfume of Urdu shayari and Bollywood romance -- you will hear it in countless film songs where a lover addresses their महबूब (mahboob) with longing. It sits at the more poetic, filmy end of the spectrum compared to everyday words like प्रेमी (premii).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat महबूब (mahboob) as gender-fixed masculine only, but it is used for a female beloved too, especially in songs addressed to a woman -- the feminine form महबूबा (mahboobaa) exists separately and is more specific to a female beloved. 2) It is stronger and more poetic than दोस्त (dost) or यार (yaar) -- do not use it casually for a friend.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा महबूब आज बहुत दूर है।
My beloved is very far away today.
(meraa mahboob aaj bahut door hai।)
उसने अपने महबूब को खत लिखा।
She wrote a letter to her beloved.
(usne apne mahboob ko khat likhaa।)
ऐ महबूब, मेरी बात सुनो।
O beloved, listen to me.
(ai mahboob, merii baat suno।)
फिल्म में हीरो अपने महबूब के लिए गाना गा रहा था।
In the film, the hero was singing a song for his beloved.
(philm men hiiro apne mahboob ke lie gaanaa gaa rahaa thaa।)
काश मेरा महबूब मेरे पास होता।
If only my beloved were near me.
(kaash meraa mahboob mere paas hotaa।)
शायर अपने महबूब की याद में शेर लिखता है।
The poet writes couplets in memory of his beloved.
(shaayar apne mahboob kii yaad men sher likhtaa hai।)
महबूब से मिलकर उसकी आँखों में चमक आ गई।
Meeting his beloved, a sparkle came into his eyes.
(mahboob se milkar uskii aankhon men chamak aa gaii।)
क्या तुम्हारा कोई महबूब है?
Do you have a sweetheart?
(kyaa tumhaaraa koii mahboob hai?)
उसके महबूब ने उसे बीच रास्ते में छोड़ दिया।
Her beloved abandoned her midway.
(uske mahboob ne use biich raaste men chhod diyaa।)
गाने में कहा गया है कि महबूब बिना दिल नहीं लगता।
It is said in the song that the heart does not feel right without one's beloved.
(gaane men kahaa gayaa hai ki mahboob binaa dil nahiin lagtaa।)
Sense
2
:
beloved, dear
adjective Used attributively before a noun, as in मेरे महबूब शहर (mere mahboob shahar, 'my beloved city') -- it modifies people or places one holds dear, not just romantic partners.
Synonyms: प्रिय (priy), प्यारा (pyaaraa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This adjectival use extends beyond romance -- a poet might call their hometown or homeland महबूब (mahboob), showing how the word's warmth stretches to any deeply cherished thing, not only a lover.
Common Mistakes: 1) As an adjective it is invariant -- learners familiar with -आ adjectives like अच्छा (achchhaa) sometimes wrongly try to inflect it to महबूबी or महबूबे; it stays महबूब (mahboob) regardless of the noun's gender or number.
Sample Sentences:
यह मेरा महबूब शहर है।
This is my beloved city.
(yah meraa mahboob shahar hai।)
अपने महबूब वतन को कौन भूल सकता है?
Who can forget their beloved homeland?
(apne mahboob vatan ko kaun bhool saktaa hai?)
उसने अपनी महबूब यादों को डायरी में सहेज रखा था।
She had preserved her beloved memories in a diary.
(usne apnii mahboob yaadon ko daayrii men sahej rakhaa thaa।)
काश मैं अपने महबूब गाँव लौट पाता।
If only I could return to my beloved village.
(kaash main apne mahboob gaanv laut paataa।)
यह किताब मुझे इसलिए महबूब है क्योंकि इसे मेरी माँ ने दी थी।
This book is dear to me because my mother gave it to me.
(yah kitaab mujhe islie mahboob hai kyonki ise merii maan ne dii thii।)
शायर ने अपने महबूब वतन पर एक नज़्म लिखी।
The poet wrote a poem about his beloved homeland.
(shaayar ne apne mahboob vatan par ek nazm likhii।)
हर इंसान का अपना महबूब सपना होता है।
Every person has their own cherished dream.
(har insaan kaa apnaa mahboob sapnaa hotaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें अपना महबूब शहर याद नहीं आता?
Don't you miss your beloved city?
(kyaa tumhen apnaa mahboob shahar yaad nahiin aataa?)
यह धुन उसे बेहद महबूब है, वह इसे बार-बार सुनता है।
This tune is extremely dear to him, he listens to it again and again.
(yah dhun use behad mahboob hai, vah ise baar-baar suntaa hai।)
उस महबूब जगह पर दोबारा जाना नामुमकिन हो गया था।
Going back to that beloved place had become impossible.
(us mahboob jagah par dobaaraa jaanaa naamumkin ho gayaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
महबूब
(mahboob)
(sg.m.oblique):
महबूब
(mahboob)
(pl.m.direct):
महबूब
(mahboob)
(pl.m.oblique):
महबूबों
(mahboobon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
महबूब
(mahboob)