धुँधला (dhundhlaa)
adjective/verb
An adjective meaning hazy, blurry, or dim -- used for foggy weather, blurred vision or images, and faded memories alike; it also has a related intransitive verb sense meaning 'to become blurred/dim.' Also spelled धुंधला (dhundhlaa) with the anusvaar instead of the chandrabindu -- both are common.
Sense
1
:
hazy, blurry, dim, faded (visual or mental)
adjective
Synonyms: अस्पष्ट (aspasht), अंधियारा (andhiyaaraa, dim/dark, less common), फीका (phiikaa, faded, meaning scope: color/vividness rather than clarity)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of looking through fogged-up glasses on a winter morning in Delhi -- that's the classic धुँधला (dhundhlaa) image, and indeed it's the go-to word for Delhi's famous winter smog and fog (कोहरा, kohraa) making everything hazy. It extends naturally to memory too: धुँधली याद (dhundhlii yaad, 'a hazy/faded memory') is a very common phrase.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for अस्पष्ट (aspasht) for everything meaning 'unclear,' but धुँधला (dhundhlaa) specifically evokes a visual haze or fog-like quality -- unclear speech or writing is better called अस्पष्ट (aspasht), not धुँधला (dhundhlaa). 2) Don't confuse with अंधेरा (andheraa, 'dark') -- धुँधला (dhundhlaa) is about blur/haze, not absence of light, though a dim room can be described either way depending on what you mean.
Sample Sentences:
आज सुबह कोहरे की वजह से सब कुछ धुँधला दिख रहा है।
This morning, because of the fog, everything is looking hazy.
(aaj subah kohre kii vajah se sab kuchh dhundhlaa dikh rahaa hai।)
उसकी बचपन की यादें अब धुँधली हो गई हैं।
His childhood memories have now become hazy.
(uskii bachpan kii yaaden ab dhundhlii ho gaii hain।)
मेरा चश्मा धुँधला है, मुझे कुछ साफ़ नहीं दिख रहा।
My glasses are foggy, I can't see anything clearly.
(meraa chashmaa dhundhlaa hai, mujhe kuchh saaf nahiin dikh rahaa।)
सर्दियों की उन धुँधली सुबहों को मैं कभी नहीं भूल सकता।
I can never forget those hazy winter mornings.
(sardiyon kii un dhundhlii subahon ko main kabhii nahiin bhool saktaa।)
अगर तस्वीर धुँधली न होती, तो हम उसका चेहरा पहचान लेते।
If the picture hadn't been blurry, we would have recognized his face.
(agar tasviir dhundhlii n hotii, to ham uskaa chehraa pahchaan lete।)
पुरानी डायरी के पन्नों पर स्याही धुँधली पड़ चुकी थी।
The ink on the old diary's pages had already faded and gone blurry.
(puraanii daayrii ke pannon par syaahii dhundhlii pad chukii thii।)
कृपया शीशा साफ़ कर दीजिए, यह बहुत धुँधला है।
Please clean the mirror, it's very hazy.
(kripyaa shiishaa saaf kar diijie, yah bahut dhundhlaa hai।)
हो सकता है कि यह तस्वीर धुँधली इसलिए लगे क्योंकि कैमरा हिल गया था।
It's possible this picture looks blurry because the camera shook.
(ho saktaa hai ki yah tasviir dhundhlii islie lage kyonki kaimraa hil gayaa thaa।)
दिल्ली की सर्दी में सूरज अक्सर धुँधला ही नज़र आता है।
In Delhi's winter, the sun often appears hazy.
(dillii kii sardii men sooraj aksar dhundhlaa hii nazar aataa hai।)
उस हादसे की धुँधली सी तस्वीर आज भी मेरी आँखों के सामने घूमती है।
A hazy picture of that accident still floats before my eyes even today.
(us haadse kii dhundhlii sii tasviir aaj bhii merii aankhon ke saamne ghoomtii hai।)
Sense
2
:
to become blurred, hazy, or dim
verb, intransitive Functions as an intransitive verb describing eyes, glass, vision, or memory growing hazy over time; often heard in the compound-verb form धुँधला जाना (dhundhlaa jaanaa, 'to become blurred/faded').
Synonyms: धुँधलाना (dhundhlaanaa, the more standard verb form for this action)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll often hear आँखें धुँधला जाना (aankhen dhundhlaa jaanaa, 'the eyes to grow hazy/teary') used for eyes welling up with emotion, not just poor eyesight -- a lovely example of how Hindi ties blurred vision to feeling something deeply.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी बात सुनते ही मेरी आँखें धुँधला गईं।
As soon as I heard what he said, my eyes welled up.
(uskii baat sunte hii merii aankhen dhundhlaa gaiin।)
बूढ़ी माँ की आँखें अब धुँधलाने लगी हैं।
The old mother's eyes have started growing hazy now.
(boodhii maan kii aankhen ab dhundhlaane lagii hain।)
कोहरे में दूर की इमारतें धुँधलाती जा रही थीं।
In the fog, the distant buildings were gradually blurring.
(kohre men door kii imaarten dhundhlaatii jaa rahii thiin।)
अगर तुम रोओगे तो शीशा भाप से धुँधला जाएगा।
If you cry, the glass will fog up from the steam.
(agar tum rooge to shiishaa bhaap se dhundhlaa jaaegaa।)
बेटे को याद करके उसकी आँखें धुँधला उठीं।
Remembering her son, her eyes suddenly grew misty.
(bete ko yaad karke uskii aankhen dhundhlaa uthiin।)
पुरानी तस्वीर देखकर उसका मन धुँधला गया, यादें फिर उमड़ आईं।
Seeing the old photo, his mind went hazy, and the memories came flooding back.
(puraanii tasviir dekhkar uskaa man dhundhlaa gayaa, yaaden phir umad aaiin।)
काश उसकी आँखें उस वक्त धुँधला न जातीं और वह मुझे पहचान लेता।
If only his eyes hadn't grown hazy at that moment, he would have recognized me.
(kaash uskii aankhen us vakt dhundhlaa n jaatiin aur vah mujhe pahchaan letaa।)
चश्मा साफ करो, नहीं तो लेंस और धुँधलाता रहेगा।
Clean the glasses, otherwise the lens will keep getting foggier.
(chashmaa saaph karo, nahiin to lens aur dhundhlaataa rahegaa।)
बारिश की बूँदों से खिड़की का शीशा धुँधला गया था।
The windowpane had become blurry with raindrops.
(baarish kii boondon se khidkii kaa shiishaa dhundhlaa gayaa thaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
धुँधला
(dhundhlaa)
(pl.m):
धुँधले
(dhundhle)
(sg.f):
धुँधली
(dhundhlii)
(pl.f):
धुँधली
(dhundhlii)
Verb
infinitive:
धुँधला
(dhundhlaa)
infinitive oblique:
धुँधलने
(dhundhalne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
धुँधलता
(dhundhaltaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
धुँधलते
(dhundhalte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
धुँधलती
(dhundhaltii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
धुँधलतीं
(dhundhaltiin)
continuous (sg.m):
धुँधल रहा
(dhundhal rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
धुँधल रहे
(dhundhal rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
धुँधल रही
(dhundhal rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
धुँधल रहीं
(dhundhal rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
धुँधला
(dhundhlaa)
perfective (pl.m):
धुँधले
(dhundhle)
perfective (sg.f):
धुँधली
(dhundhlii)
perfective (pl.f):
धुँधलीं
(dhundhliin)
imperative (informal):
धुँधल
(dhundhal)
imperative (neutral):
धुँधलो
(dhundhlo)
imperative (formal):
धुँधलिए
(dhundhlie)
future (1sg.m):
धुँधलूँगा
(dhundhloongaa)
future (1sg.f):
धुँधलूँगी
(dhundhloongii)
future (1pl.m):
धुँधलेंगे
(dhundhlenge)
future (1pl.f):
धुँधलेंगी
(dhundhlengii)
future (2sg.m):
धुँधलेगा
(dhundhlegaa)
future (2sg.f):
धुँधलेगी
(dhundhlegii)
future (2pl.m):
धुँधलोगे
(dhundhloge)
future (2pl.f):
धुँधलोगी
(dhundhlogii)
future (3sg.m):
धुँधलेगा
(dhundhlegaa)
future (3sg.f):
धुँधलेगी
(dhundhlegii)
future (3pl.m):
धुँधलेंगे
(dhundhlenge)
future (3pl.f):
धुँधलेंगी
(dhundhlengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
धुँधलूँ
(dhundhloon)
subjunctive (1pl):
धुँधलें
(dhundhlen)
subjunctive (2sg):
धुँधले
(dhundhle)
subjunctive (2pl):
धुँधलो
(dhundhlo)
subjunctive (3sg):
धुँधले
(dhundhle)
subjunctive (3pl):
धुँधलें
(dhundhlen)