हमदर्द (hamdard)
noun/adjective
A Persian-origin compound meaning 'fellow-sufferer' -- someone who shares in your pain. Used both as an adjective/noun for a sympathetic person and, less commonly, as an adjective for feelings of sympathy itself.
Sense
1
:
a sympathetic person, well-wisher who shares your pain
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: शुभचिंतक (shubhchintak), हितैषी (hitaishii, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: हम (ham, 'same/together') plus दर्द (dard, 'pain') gives you the literal sense 'one who shares your pain' -- a lovely example of how Hindi/Urdu often builds emotional vocabulary from body-and-feeling roots. You will hear this word a lot in ghazals and old Bollywood dialogues about true friendship, where a हमदर्द (hamdard) is valued above a mere दोस्त (dost, 'friend') because they feel your sorrow, not just keep you company.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use हमदर्द (hamdard) where English would say 'supporter' in a political or competitive sense -- it specifically implies shared emotional pain, not just backing someone. 2) It is not used for professional sympathy (like a doctor's bedside manner) -- it carries a personal, heartfelt tone, closer to a friend or family member who genuinely feels for you.
Sample Sentences:
वह मेरे बुरे वक़्त में मेरा सबसे बड़ा हमदर्द बना।
He became my greatest well-wisher during my hard times.
(vah mere bure vaqt men meraa sabse badaa hamdard banaa।)
मुझे एक सच्चे हमदर्द की ज़रूरत है, न कि सलाह देने वालों की।
I need a true sympathizer, not people who just give advice.
(mujhe ek sachche hamdard kii zaroorat hai, n ki salaah dene vaalon kii।)
इस शहर में उसका कोई हमदर्द नहीं था।
He had no sympathizer in this city.
(is shahar men uskaa koii hamdard nahiin thaa।)
काश कोई हमदर्द मेरी बात सुनता।
If only some well-wisher would listen to me.
(kaash koii hamdard merii baat suntaa।)
ग़ज़ल में शायर अपने हमदर्द से अपने दर्द का हाल बयान करता है।
In the ghazal, the poet describes the state of his pain to his sympathizer.
(ghazal men shaayar apne hamdard se apne dard kaa haal bayaan kartaa hai।)
पुरानी फ़िल्मों में हीरो अक्सर किसी अनजान हमदर्द से मिलता है जो उसका दुख समझता है।
In old films, the hero often meets some unknown well-wisher who understands his sorrow.
(puraanii filmon men hiiro aksar kisii anjaan hamdard se miltaa hai jo uskaa dukh samajhtaa hai।)
क्या तुम मेरे हमदर्द बनोगे या सिर्फ़ तमाशा देखोगे?
Will you become my well-wisher, or just watch the spectacle?
(kyaa tum mere hamdard banoge yaa sirf tamaashaa dekhoge?)
जब सब साथ छोड़ गए, तब सिर्फ़ वही मेरा हमदर्द रहा।
When everyone else left, only he remained my sympathizer.
(jab sab saath chhod gae, tab sirf vahii meraa hamdard rahaa।)
दोस्त तो बहुत हैं, पर हमदर्द कोई-कोई ही होता है।
There are plenty of friends, but a true well-wisher is rare to find.
(dost to bahut hain, par hamdard koii-koii hii hotaa hai।)
उसे अपना हमदर्द समझकर मैंने अपने दिल की सारी बातें बता दीं।
Taking him for my well-wisher, I told him everything in my heart.
(use apnaa hamdard samajhkar mainne apne dil kii saarii baaten bataa diin।)
Sense
2
:
sympathetic, compassionate (describing a person or their nature)
adjective Used attributively before a noun, e.g. हमदर्द इंसान (hamdard insaan, 'a compassionate person'), or predicatively with होना (honaa).
Synonyms: संवेदनशील (sanvedanshiil), दयालु (dayaalu)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This adjectival use overlaps heavily with the noun sense -- in practice, native speakers often don't sharply distinguish 'a sympathizer' from 'a sympathetic person' when using this word, since it describes both the quality and the person who has it.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत हमदर्द इंसान है।
He is a very sympathetic person.
(vah bahut hamdard insaan hai।)
हमारी टीचर बहुत हमदर्द थीं, हमेशा हमारी परेशानी समझती थीं।
Our teacher was very compassionate, she always understood our troubles.
(hamaarii tiichar bahut hamdard thiin, hameshaa hamaarii pareshaanii samajhtii thiin।)
काश तुम इतने हमदर्द होते जितने दिखते हो।
I wish you were as sympathetic as you appear to be.
(kaash tum itne hamdard hote jitne dikhte ho।)
एक अच्छे डॉक्टर को हमदर्द होना चाहिए।
A good doctor should be compassionate.
(ek achchhe doktar ko hamdard honaa chaahie।)
उसकी हमदर्द आवाज़ सुनकर मुझे रोना आ गया।
Hearing her sympathetic voice, I started crying.
(uskii hamdard aavaaz sunkar mujhe ronaa aa gayaa।)
थोड़ा हमदर्द बनो यार, सबकी अपनी मुश्किलें होती हैं।
Be a little more understanding, man, everyone has their own struggles.
(thodaa hamdard bano yaar, sabkii apnii mushkilen hotii hain।)
समाज को गरीबों के प्रति हमदर्द रुख अपनाना होगा।
Society will have to adopt a sympathetic attitude toward the poor.
(samaaj ko gariibon ke prati hamdard rukh apnaanaa hogaa।)
नेताजी का भाषण हमदर्द तो लगा, पर काम कुछ नहीं हुआ।
The leader's speech did sound sympathetic, but nothing was actually done.
(netaajii kaa bhaashan hamdard to lagaa, par kaam kuchh nahiin huaa।)
इस कहानी में नायक एक हमदर्द दिल वाला आदमी दिखाया गया है।
In this story, the hero is shown as a man with a compassionate heart.
(is kahaanii men naayak ek hamdard dil vaalaa aadmii dikhaayaa gayaa hai।)
अगर वह ज़रा भी हमदर्द होता, तो ऐसे शब्द न कहता।
If he were even slightly sympathetic, he wouldn't have said such words.
(agar vah zaraa bhii hamdard hotaa, to aise shabd n kahtaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
हमदर्द
(hamdard)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
हमदर्द
(hamdard)
(pl.m/f.direct):
हमदर्दें
(hamdarden)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
हमदर्दों
(hamdardon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
हमदर्द
(hamdard)