गंभीर (gambhiir)
adjective
A borrowed-from-Sanskrit adjective meaning 'serious' or 'grave' -- covers a person's temperament, the gravity of a situation, and the severity of a medical condition.
Sense
1
:
serious, grave (of a situation, matter, or tone)
adjective
Synonyms: गम्भीर (gambhiir, spelling variant with anusvaar written as म्), गहन (gahan), संगीन (sangiin, formal, used for serious crimes/matters)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly on news channels: गंभीर स्थिति (gambhiir sthiti, 'serious situation'), गंभीर मामला (gambhiir maamlaa, 'serious matter'). It carries a certain gravitas -- a बात (baat) can be गंभीर without being sad, just weighty and deserving attention.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for सीरियस (siiriyas) since it is common in casual speech, but गंभीर (gambhiir) is the word you want in writing or formal speech, and for weighty topics like गंभीर मुद्दा (gambhiir muddaa, 'serious issue'). 2) Do not confuse with दुखी (dukhii, 'sad') -- गंभीर describes weightiness or seriousness of tone, not sadness itself.
Sample Sentences:
यह एक गंभीर मामला है।
This is a serious matter.
(yah ek gambhiir maamlaa hai।)
देश में आर्थिक स्थिति काफी गंभीर हो गई है।
The economic situation in the country has become quite serious.
(desh men aarthik sthiti kaaphii gambhiir ho gaii hai।)
सरकार इस मुद्दे को गंभीरता से नहीं ले रही थी, इसलिए हालात और बिगड़ गए।
The government wasn't taking this issue seriously, so the situation got even worse.
(sarkaar is mudde ko gambhiirtaa se nahiin le rahii thii, islie haalaat aur bigad gae।)
क्या तुम्हें एहसास है कि यह कितना गंभीर मुद्दा है?
Do you realize how serious an issue this is?
(kyaa tumhen ehsaas hai ki yah kitnaa gambhiir muddaa hai?)
अगर हम अभी नहीं चेते, तो हालात और गंभीर हो जाएँगे।
If we don't wake up now, the situation will become even more serious.
(agar ham abhii nahiin chete, to haalaat aur gambhiir ho jaaenge।)
इस मसले पर गंभीर चर्चा होनी चाहिए।
There should be a serious discussion on this matter.
(is masle par gambhiir charchaa honii chaahie।)
इसे मज़ाक मत समझो, बात बहुत गंभीर है।
Don't take this as a joke, the matter is very serious.
(ise mazaak mat samjho, baat bahut gambhiir hai।)
समाचार चैनलों पर बार-बार बताया जा रहा था कि प्रदूषण की स्थिति कितनी गंभीर है।
It was being repeatedly reported on news channels how serious the pollution situation was.
(samaachaar chainlon par baar-baar bataayaa jaa rahaa thaa ki pradooshan kii sthiti kitnii gambhiir hai।)
यदि तुमने पहले ही यह गंभीरता दिखाई होती, तो मामला इतना बड़ा न बनता।
If you had shown this seriousness earlier, the matter would not have become this big.
(yadi tumne pahle hii yah gambhiirtaa dikhaaii hotii, to maamlaa itnaa badaa n bantaa।)
कंपनी के सामने अब एक गंभीर चुनौती खड़ी है।
The company now faces a serious challenge.
(kampnii ke saamne ab ek gambhiir chunautii khadii hai।)
यह कोई हल्की-फुल्की बात नहीं, बेहद गंभीर विषय है।
This is not some trivial matter, it is an extremely serious subject.
(yah koii halkii-phulkii baat nahiin, behad gambhiir vishay hai।)
Sense
2
:
serious, critical (of a person's medical condition)
adjective
Synonyms: नाज़ुक (naazuk, often used for 'critical' health condition), संगीन (sangiin)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the phrase you will hear on the news after an accident: हालत गंभीर बनी हुई है (haalat gambhiir banii huii hai, 'the condition remains critical'). It is the standard register for hospital updates, distinct from casual health talk.
Common Mistakes: 1) In hospital contexts, मरीज़ की हालत गंभीर है (mariiz kii haalat gambhiir hai, 'the patient's condition is serious') is the standard formula -- learners sometimes try to describe the person as गंभीर instead of describing their हालत (haalat, 'condition'), which sounds off.
Sample Sentences:
दुर्घटना के बाद उसकी हालत गंभीर बनी हुई है।
After the accident, his condition remains critical.
(durghatnaa ke baad uskii haalat gambhiir banii huii hai।)
खबर है कि मुख्यमंत्री की हालत गंभीर है।
There is news that the chief minister's condition is critical.
(khabar hai ki mukhymantrii kii haalat gambhiir hai।)
मरीज़ को गंभीर हालत में अस्पताल लाया गया।
The patient was brought to the hospital in a critical condition.
(mariiz ko gambhiir haalat men asptaal laayaa gayaa।)
डॉक्टरों ने बताया कि मरीज़ की हालत गंभीर थी, मगर अब स्थिर है।
The doctors said the patient's condition was critical, but is now stable.
(doktron ne bataayaa ki mariiz kii haalat gambhiir thii, magar ab sthir hai।)
अगर समय पर इलाज न मिले, तो हालत गंभीर हो सकती है।
If treatment isn't received on time, the condition could become critical.
(agar samay par ilaaj n mile, to haalat gambhiir ho saktii hai।)
अगर उसे पहले अस्पताल ले जाया जाता, तो हालत इतनी गंभीर न होती।
If he had been taken to the hospital sooner, the condition wouldn't have become this critical.
(agar use pahle asptaal le jaayaa jaataa, to haalat itnii gambhiir n hotii।)
कृपया गंभीर मरीज़ों को पहले देखें।
Please attend to the critical patients first.
(kripyaa gambhiir mariizon ko pahle dekhen।)
अगर उसकी हालत गंभीर हो जाए, तो फौरन मुझे फोन करना।
If his condition becomes critical, call me right away.
(agar uskii haalat gambhiir ho jaae, to phauran mujhe phon karnaa।)
आपातकालीन वार्ड में हर दिन कई गंभीर मरीज़ भर्ती किए जाते हैं।
Many critical patients are admitted to the emergency ward every day.
(aapaatkaaliin vaard men har din kaii gambhiir mariiz bhartii kie jaate hain।)
टक्कर लगने के बाद वह गंभीर रूप से घायल है।
He is critically injured after the collision.
(takkar lagne ke baad vah gambhiir roop se ghaayal hai।)
उसकी हालत गंभीर से नाज़ुक स्थिति में बदल गई है।
His condition has changed from critical to precarious.
(uskii haalat gambhiir se naazuk sthiti men badal gaii hai।)
Sense
3
:
serious, solemn, grave (of a person's temperament or demeanor)
adjective
Synonyms: शांत (shaant, calm, overlaps but emphasizes composure over seriousness), संयमी (sanymii, literary, self-controlled)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A गंभीर (gambhiir) व्यक्ति (vyakti, 'person') is someone who doesn't joke around much -- steady, composed, maybe a little stern. It's often said approvingly of elders or teachers who carry themselves with quiet dignity, distinct from being boring or humorless.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे दादाजी बहुत गंभीर स्वभाव के इंसान थे।
My grandfather was a man of a very serious, solemn nature.
(mere daadaajii bahut gambhiir svabhaav ke insaan the।)
वह हमेशा इतनी गंभीर क्यों रहती है?
Why is she always so solemn and serious?
(vah hameshaa itnii gambhiir kyon rahtii hai?)
प्रोफेसर साहब बहुत गंभीर व्यक्ति हैं, कभी मज़ाक नहीं करते।
The professor is a very serious-natured person, he never jokes.
(prophesar saahab bahut gambhiir vyakti hain, kabhii mazaak nahiin karte।)
थोड़ा गंभीर बनो, हर बात पर हँसना ठीक नहीं।
Be a little more serious, it's not right to laugh at everything.
(thodaa gambhiir bano, har baat par hansnaa thiik nahiin।)
अगर वह इतना गंभीर न होता, तो हम उससे खुलकर बात कर पाते।
If he weren't so solemn, we would be able to talk to him openly.
(agar vah itnaa gambhiir n hotaa, to ham usse khulkar baat kar paate।)
शायद वह गंभीर हो, इसलिए कम बोलता है।
Perhaps he is serious-natured, that's why he speaks little.
(shaayad vah gambhiir ho, islie kam boltaa hai।)
गुरुजी की गंभीर मुखमुद्रा देखकर सब चुप हो गए।
Seeing the teacher's solemn expression, everyone fell silent.
(gurujii kii gambhiir mukhmudraa dekhkar sab chup ho gae।)
उसका गंभीर स्वभाव उसे अपने दोस्तों से थोड़ा अलग बनाता है।
His serious nature makes him a little different from his friends.
(uskaa gambhiir svabhaav use apne doston se thodaa alag banaataa hai।)
नए बॉस बहुत गंभीर लगते हैं, पहले दिन तो किसी से हँसे भी नहीं।
The new boss seems very serious-natured, he didn't even smile at anyone on the first day.
(nae bos bahut gambhiir lagte hain, pahle din to kisii se hanse bhii nahiin।)
समय के साथ वह और गंभीर होता गया।
Over time, he became more and more solemn.
(samay ke saath vah aur gambhiir hotaa gayaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
गंभीर
(gambhiir)