हर (har)

adjective/noun Mainly the everyday adjective meaning 'every, each' (har); it also appears as a bound element in a few fixed words meaning 'defeat' and shows up in the divine name हर (har, an epithet of Shiva), which is literary/devotional rather than conversational.

Sense 1 : every, each

adjective Always precedes a singular noun even though the meaning is distributive/plural in sense, e.g. हर दिन (har din, 'every day'), हर बार (har baar, 'every time').

Synonyms: प्रत्येक (pratyek, formal), सब (sab, meaning scope: 'all' rather than 'each individually')

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You'll hear हर (har) constantly in daily talk -- हर रोज़ (har roz, 'every day'), हर जगह (har jagah, 'everywhere'), हर कोई (har koii, 'everyone') -- it's one of the first 'every/each' words learners should own cold, well before प्रत्येक (pratyek), which feels bookish by comparison.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often pluralize the noun after हर (har), saying हर दिनों (har dinon) instead of the correct हर दिन (har din) -- the noun stays singular. 2) हर एक (har ek, 'each and every one') is a common intensified variant; learners sometimes use it interchangeably with हर (har) when just 'every' is meant, which sounds slightly emphatic/redundant in plain contexts.

Sample Sentences:

मैं हर रोज़ सुबह योग करता हूँ। I do yoga every day in the morning.

(main har roz subah yog kartaa hoon।)

उसने हर कमरे में झाड़ू लगाई। She swept every room.

(usne har kamre men jhaadoo lagaaii।)

हर बच्चे को स्कूल जाना चाहिए। Every child should go to school.

(har bachche ko skool jaanaa chaahie।)

हर जगह लोग त्यौहार की तैयारी कर रहे हैं। Everywhere, people are preparing for the festival.

(har jagah log tyauhaar kii taiyaarii kar rahe hain।)

अगर हर आदमी ईमानदार होता, तो दुनिया कितनी अच्छी होती। If every man were honest, how good the world would be.

(agar har aadmii iimaandaar hotaa, to duniyaa kitnii achchhii hotii।)

हर कोई अपनी ज़िंदगी में खुश रहना चाहता है। Everyone wants to stay happy in their life.

(har koii apnii zindgii men khush rahnaa chaahtaa hai।)

हर दरवाज़ा अच्छी तरह से जाँच लो। Check every door thoroughly.

(har darvaazaa achchhii tarah se jaanch lo।)

हर फैसले की जाँच सावधानी से की जाती है। Every decision is examined carefully.

(har phaisle kii jaanch saavdhaanii se kii jaatii hai।)

उम्मीद है कि हर छात्र अगली परीक्षा में सफल होगा। It is hoped that every student will succeed in the next exam.

(ummiid hai ki har chhaatr aglii pariikshaa men saphal hogaa।)

हर साँस के साथ ज़िंदगी की कीमत समझ में आती है। With every breath, one comes to understand the value of life.

(har saans ke saath zindgii kii kiimat samajh men aatii hai।)

हर मुश्किल के बाद एक नया रास्ता खुल जाता है। After every difficulty, a new path opens up.

(har mushkil ke baad ek nayaa raastaa khul jaataa hai।)

Sense 2 : defeat, loss (in a fixed expression)

noun, masculine Survives mainly in the fixed pair हार-जीत (haar-jiit, 'win and loss') and in हर-जीत (har-jiit) as an alternate rendering; the everyday word for 'defeat' as a standalone noun is हार (haar), not हर (har).

Synonyms: हार (haar, variant form/related noun; more common in this sense)

Frequency: low

Cultural Note: This sense is quite marginal in modern conversation -- it's really the shadow of हार (haar) surviving in a compound; don't spend much active-vocabulary effort on हर (har) as 'defeat' itself.

Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is easy to confuse with हार (haar, 'defeat' or 'necklace') -- learners should default to हार (haar) for 'defeat' in normal speech and treat हर (har) in this sense as something they'll mainly recognize in the compound हार-जीत (haar-jiit) rather than produce on its own.

Sample Sentences:

जीवन में हार-जीत तो लगी रहती है। In life, defeat and victory keep happening.

(jiivan men haar-jiit to lagii rahtii hai।)

खेल में हार-जीत का ध्यान मत करो, बस मज़ा लो। Don't worry about winning or losing in the game, just have fun.

(khel men haar-jiit kaa dhyaan mat karo, bas mazaa lo।)

उस मैच की हार-जीत पर सबकी नज़र थी। Everyone's eyes were on the outcome of that match.

(us maich kii haar-jiit par sabkii nazar thii।)

अगर हार-जीत इतनी मायने रखती तो कोई खेलता ही क्यों? If winning and losing mattered so much, why would anyone even play?

(agar haar-jiit itnii maayne rakhtii to koii kheltaa hii kyon?)

चुनाव की हार-जीत का फ़ैसला कल होगा। The decision on the election's win or loss will be made tomorrow.

(chunaav kii haar-jiit kaa faislaa kal hogaa।)

कोच ने कहा कि हार-जीत खेल का हिस्सा है। The coach said that winning and losing are part of the game.

(koch ne kahaa ki haar-jiit khel kaa hissaa hai।)

शायद हार-जीत उतनी बड़ी बात न हो जितनी हम सोचते हैं। Perhaps winning and losing aren't as big a deal as we think.

(shaayad haar-jiit utnii badii baat n ho jitnii ham sochte hain।)

दोनों टीमों की हार-जीत का हिसाब अगले हफ़्ते तय होगा। The reckoning of both teams' win-loss record will be settled next week.

(donon tiimon kii haar-jiit kaa hisaab agle hafte tay hogaa।)

Sense 3 : Shiva (an epithet)

noun, masculine Used as a proper-noun epithet, chiefly in devotional or literary contexts, e.g. हर हर महादेव (har har mahaadev, 'Hail Shiva, the great god') as a devotional chant.

Synonyms: शिव (shiv), शंकर (shankar)

Frequency: devotional

Cultural Note: You'll hear this in the chant हर हर महादेव (har har mahaadev) at Shiva temples and during festivals like Mahashivratri -- it's a name every Hindi speaker recognizes instantly even if they never use हर (har) this way in daily conversation.

Sample Sentences:

हर हर महादेव! Har har Mahadev! (a devotional chant invoking Shiva)

(har har mahaadev!)

भक्त हर का नाम जपते हुए मंदिर की ओर बढ़ रहे थे। The devotees were moving toward the temple chanting the name of Har (Shiva).

(bhakt har kaa naam japte hue mandir kii or badh rahe the।)

महाशिवरात्रि पर हर के भक्त रातभर जागरण करते हैं। On Mahashivratri, Har's devotees stay awake all night in vigil.

(mahaashivraatri par har ke bhakt raatbhar jaagran karte hain।)

हे हर, अपनी कृपा हम पर बनाए रखो। O Har, keep your grace upon us.

(he har, apnii kripaa ham par banaae rakho।)

कहा जाता है कि हर स्वयं श्मशान में निवास करते हैं। It is said that Har himself dwells in the cremation grounds.

(kahaa jaataa hai ki har svayan shmashaan men nivaas karte hain।)

अगर तुम सच्चे मन से हर को पुकारो, तो वे अवश्य सुनेंगे। If you call out to Har with a sincere heart, he will surely listen.

(agar tum sachche man se har ko pukaaro, to ve avashy sunenge।)

काश हर की कृपा से मेरे सारे कष्ट मिट जाते। If only, by Har's grace, all my sufferings would vanish.

(kaash har kii kripaa se mere saare kasht mit jaate।)

गंगा को हर की जटाओं से निकली हुई नदी माना जाता है। The Ganga is regarded as the river that emerged from Har's matted locks.

(gangaa ko har kii jataaon se niklii huii nadii maanaa jaataa hai।)

हर और पार्वती का विवाह हिमालय पर हुआ था, ऐसा पुराणों में वर्णित है। Har and Parvati's marriage took place in the Himalayas, as described in the Puranas.

(har aur paarvtii kaa vivaah himaalay par huaa thaa, aisaa puraanon men varnit hai।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: हर (har)

Noun

(sg.m.direct): हर (har)

(sg.m.oblique): हर (har)

(pl.m.direct): हर (har)

(pl.m.oblique): हरों (haron)