नादान (naadaan)

adjective A single-sense adjective (with a matching noun-like use for people) meaning naive, innocent, or immature -- typically used with affection toward children, or gently critical toward adults who acted without understanding the consequences.

Sense 1 : naive, innocent, immature (lacking worldly understanding)

adjective

Synonyms: भोला (bholaa), मासूम (maasoom), अनजान (anjaan, meaning scope: unaware/ignorant, not always innocent-natured), बेवकूफ़ (bevkoof, meaning scope: foolish, harsher and not affectionate)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the word a parent or elder uses with real tenderness -- 'अरे, यह तो नादान है' (are, yah to naadaan hai, 'oh, he/she is just naive/innocent') excuses a child's or young person's mistake by pointing to their lack of years, not their lack of sense. It carries none of the sting of calling someone stupid; if anything, it asks the listener to be gentle in return.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बेवकूफ़ (bevkoof) when they mean नादान (naadaan) -- but बेवकूफ़ (bevkoof) means 'stupid' and can be an insult, while नादान (naadaan) is soft and forgiving, closer to 'doesn't know better yet.' 2) It is very commonly paired with बच्चा (bachchaa) as नादान बच्चा (naadaan bachchaa, 'innocent/naive child') -- learners sometimes miss that this pairing is almost a fixed phrase in everyday speech.

Sample Sentences:

अरे, यह तो नादान है, इसे माफ कर दो। Oh, he's just naive, forgive him.

(are, yah to naadaan hai, ise maaph kar do।)

बचपन में मैं बहुत नादान थी, दुनिया की कोई समझ नहीं थी। In my childhood I was very naive, I had no understanding of the world.

(bachpan men main bahut naadaan thii, duniyaa kii koii samajh nahiin thii।)

वह अभी नादान है, बड़ी-बड़ी बातों में मत उलझाओ उसे। She's still naive, don't entangle her in complicated matters.

(vah abhii naadaan hai, badii-badii baaton men mat uljhaao use।)

नादान बच्चे यह नहीं समझते कि उनके माँ-बाप कितनी मेहनत करते हैं। Naive children don't understand how hard their parents work.

(naadaan bachche yah nahiin samajhte ki unke maan-baap kitnii mehnat karte hain।)

काश मैं इतना नादान न होता, तो शायद यह गलती न करता। If only I hadn't been so naive, maybe I wouldn't have made this mistake.

(kaash main itnaa naadaan n hotaa, to shaayad yah galtii n kartaa।)

अगर तुम इतने नादान न होते, तो उसकी बातों में न आते। If you weren't so naive, you wouldn't have fallen for his words.

(agar tum itne naadaan n hote, to uskii baaton men n aate।)

शायद वह अभी भी नादान हो, इसलिए इतनी आसानी से सब पर भरोसा कर लेती है। Perhaps she's still naive, which is why she trusts everyone so easily.

(shaayad vah abhii bhii naadaan ho, islie itnii aasaanii se sab par bharosaa kar letii hai।)

एक नादान लड़की की मुस्कान में भी दुनिया की सारी मासूमियत छिपी होती है। Even in the smile of a naive girl lies hidden all the innocence of the world.

(ek naadaan ladkii kii muskaan men bhii duniyaa kii saarii maasoomiyat chhipii hotii hai।)

दादी हमेशा कहती थीं, नादान दिल को दुनिया की चालें समझ में नहीं आतीं। Grandmother always used to say, a naive heart doesn't understand the tricks of the world.

(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin, naadaan dil ko duniyaa kii chaalen samajh men nahiin aatiin।)

नादान मत बनो, अब तुम बड़े हो गए हो। Don't act naive, you've grown up now.

(naadaan mat bano, ab tum bade ho gae ho।)

उस नादान उम्र में हमें सही और गलत की पहचान भी नहीं थी। At that naive age, we didn't even know how to distinguish right from wrong.

(us naadaan umr men hamen sahii aur galat kii pahchaan bhii nahiin thii।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: नादान (naadaan)