वर्तमान (vartmaan)

adjective/noun Mainly a noun/adjective pair meaning 'the present (time)' and 'present, current'; also anchors the grammar term for the present tense. Inline Hindi placeholders throughout.
Sense 1 : present, current, existing now
adjective
Synonyms: मौजूदा (maujoodaa), वर्तमान समय का (vartmaan samay kaa, phrase form), आधुनिक (aadhunik, modern, meaning scope narrower)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you meet constantly in news anchoring and essays -- वर्तमान सरकार (vartmaan sarkaar, 'the current government'), वर्तमान परिस्थिति (vartmaan paristhiti, 'the current circumstances') -- it has that slightly official, newspaper-editorial ring rather than kitchen-table casualness.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for वर्तमान (vartmaan) in casual speech where मौजूदा (maujoodaa) or अभी वाला (abhii vaalaa) sounds more natural; वर्तमान (vartmaan) leans formal/written, like saying 'the incumbent situation' instead of 'the current one.' 2) As an adjective it does not inflect for gender or number -- वर्तमान स्थिति (vartmaan sthiti, 'the present situation') and वर्तमान समय (vartmaan samay, 'the present time') both use the same unchanged form.
Sample Sentences:
वर्तमान सरकार ने कई नई योजनाएँ शुरू की हैं। The current government has launched many new schemes.
(vartmaan sarkaar ne kaii naii yojnaaen shuroo kii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान परिस्थिति में यह फैसला लेना आसान नहीं है। In the current circumstances, it is not easy to take this decision.
(vartmaan paristhiti men yah phaislaa lenaa aasaan nahiin hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान समाज में तकनीक की भूमिका लगातार बढ़ रही है। In present-day society, the role of technology is continuously increasing.
(vartmaan samaaj men takniik kii bhoomikaa lagaataar badh rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
संपादक ने वर्तमान आर्थिक संकट पर एक विस्तृत लेख लिखा। The editor wrote a detailed article on the current economic crisis.
(sampaadak ne vartmaan aarthik sankat par ek vistrit lekh likhaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वर्तमान नीतियाँ ऐसी ही रहतीं, तो स्थिति और बिगड़ जाती। If the current policies had remained like this, the situation would have worsened further.
(agar vartmaan niitiyaan aisii hii rahtiin, to sthiti aur bigad jaatii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान हालात को देखते हुए सावधानी बरती जानी चाहिए। Given the current conditions, caution should be exercised.
(vartmaan haalaat ko dekhte hue saavdhaanii bartii jaanii chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या वर्तमान कानून इस समस्या को सुलझाने के लिए पर्याप्त हैं? Are the current laws sufficient to solve this problem?
(kyaa vartmaan kaanoon is samasyaa ko suljhaane ke lie paryaapt hain?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री कल विदेश यात्रा पर जाएँगे। The current prime minister will go on a foreign trip tomorrow.
(vartmaan pradhaanmantrii kal videsh yaatraa par jaaenge।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान व्यवस्था में सुधार की सख्त ज़रूरत है। The current system is in urgent need of reform.
(vartmaan vyavasthaa men sudhaar kii sakht zaroorat hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : the present (time), the present tense (grammar)
noun, masculine As a grammar term, वर्तमान काल (vartmaan kaal) names the present tense, parallel to भूतकाल (bhootkaal, past tense) and भविष्यकाल (bhavishykaal, future tense).
Synonyms: अभी (abhii, adverb, not a direct noun synonym), वर्तमान काल (vartmaan kaal, specifically grammar/present tense)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this word as one-third of a very common trio taught in school: भूत (bhoot), वर्तमान (vartmaan), भविष्य (bhavishy) -- past, present, future -- the standard way Hindi grammar and philosophy alike frame time.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use वर्तमान (vartmaan) alone to mean 'now' in conversation, but for that everyday sense अभी (abhii) is what people actually say -- वर्तमान (vartmaan) as a noun belongs to writing, philosophy, and grammar talk (भूत, वर्तमान, भविष्य (bhoot, vartmaan, bhavishy, 'past, present, future')).
Sample Sentences:
वर्तमान में महंगाई बहुत बढ़ गई है। In the present, inflation has increased a lot.
(vartmaan men mahangaaii bahut badh gaii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमें भूत और भविष्य से ज़्यादा वर्तमान पर ध्यान देना चाहिए। We should pay more attention to the present than to the past and the future.
(hamen bhoot aur bhavishy se zyaadaa vartmaan par dhyaan denaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
शिक्षक ने बच्चों को भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्य काल समझाए। The teacher explained the past, present, and future tenses to the children.
(shikshak ne bachchon ko bhoot, vartmaan aur bhavishy kaal samjhaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस वाक्य में क्रिया वर्तमान काल में है। In this sentence, the verb is in the present tense.
(is vaaky men kriyaa vartmaan kaal men hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश हम वर्तमान में ही जीना सीख पाते। If only we could learn to live in the present.
(kaash ham vartmaan men hii jiinaa siikh paate।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वर्तमान अच्छा होता, तो भविष्य की चिंता कम होती। If the present were good, there would be less worry about the future.
(agar vartmaan achchhaa hotaa, to bhavishy kii chintaa kam hotii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान में जीना एक कला है। Living in the present is an art.
(vartmaan men jiinaa ek kalaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस क्रिया को वर्तमान काल में बदलिए। Change this verb into the present tense.
(is kriyaa ko vartmaan kaal men badlie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
वर्तमान को समझे बिना भविष्य की योजना नहीं बनाई जा सकती। Without understanding the present, plans for the future cannot be made.
(vartmaan ko samjhe binaa bhavishy kii yojnaa nahiin banaaii jaa saktii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
वर्तमान हमेशा हमें कुछ न कुछ सिखाता रहता है। The present always keeps teaching us something or the other.
(vartmaan hameshaa hamen kuchh n kuchh sikhaataa rahtaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: वर्तमान (vartmaan)
Noun
(sg.m.direct): वर्तमान (vartmaan)
(sg.m.oblique): वर्तमान (vartmaan)
(pl.m.direct): वर्तमान (vartmaan)
(pl.m.oblique): वर्तमानों (vartmaanon)