अंधेरा (andheraa)
noun/adjective
Mainly means 'darkness' as a noun, and 'dark' as an adjective describing something (a room, a night, a path) -- the two senses share the same root idea and the same form.
Sense
1
:
darkness
noun, masculine
Synonyms: तम (tam, literary), काला (kaalaa, meaning scope: refers to 'black' not 'darkness' itself)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Hindi, darkness is often treated almost like weather -- it 'happens' or 'comes' (अंधेरा हो गया, andheraa ho gayaa, 'it got dark') rather than being a state you simply are in, which mirrors how लगना (lagnaa) and other involuntary-experience verbs work in the language. You'll hear this word constantly in the context of बिजली जाना (bijlii jaanaa, 'power going out') -- when the lights go, someone will say अंधेरा हो गया (andheraa ho gayaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'it is dark' with है (hai) alone, but native speakers usually use the dative-subject frame अंधेरा है (andheraa hai, 'there is darkness') or अंधेरा हो गया (andheraa ho gayaa, 'it has become dark') rather than an adjective + copula construction like English 'it is dark.' 2) अंधेरा (andheraa) as a noun is masculine, so verbs and adjectives agreeing with it take masculine forms, e.g. घना अंधेरा (ghanaa andheraa, 'thick darkness'), not feminine.
Sample Sentences:
बिजली चली गई और कमरे में अंधेरा हो गया।
The power went out and darkness fell in the room.
(bijlii chalii gaii aur kamre men andheraa ho gayaa।)
शाम होते ही जंगल में अंधेरा छा जाता है।
As soon as evening comes, darkness spreads over the forest.
(shaam hote hii jangal men andheraa chhaa jaataa hai।)
बाहर अंधेरा बढ़ता जा रहा है, जल्दी घर चलो।
The darkness outside is growing, let's get home quickly.
(baahar andheraa badhtaa jaa rahaa hai, jaldii ghar chalo।)
अगर तुम मुझे टॉर्च दे देते, तो इतना अंधेरा नहीं लगता।
If you had given me the torch, the darkness wouldn't have felt so heavy.
(agar tum mujhe torch de dete, to itnaa andheraa nahiin lagtaa।)
कृपया अंधेरे में मोमबत्ती जला दो।
Please light a candle in the darkness.
(kripyaa andhere men mombattii jalaa do।)
पूरा शहर अंधेरे में डूब गया था जब तूफान आया।
The whole city had sunk into darkness when the storm hit.
(pooraa shahar andhere men doob gayaa thaa jab toophaan aayaa।)
रात के अंधेरे में सड़कें बिल्कुल सुनसान लगती हैं।
In the darkness of night, the streets look completely deserted.
(raat ke andhere men sadken bilkul sunsaan lagtii hain।)
अंधेरे को दूर करने के लिए हर घर में दीपक जलाया जाता है।
To drive away the darkness, a lamp is lit in every house.
(andhere ko door karne ke lie har ghar men diipak jalaayaa jaataa hai।)
शायद बादलों के कारण इतनी जल्दी अंधेरा हो गया हो।
Perhaps it got dark so early because of the clouds.
(shaayad baadlon ke kaaran itnii jaldii andheraa ho gayaa ho।)
बिजली जाते ही पूरे मोहल्ले में अंधेरा फैल गया।
As soon as the power went, darkness spread through the whole neighborhood.
(bijlii jaate hii poore mohalle men andheraa phail gayaa।)
सूर्यास्त के बाद अंधेरा तेज़ी से गहराता है।
After sunset, the darkness deepens rapidly.
(sooryaast ke baad andheraa tezii se gahraataa hai।)
Sense
2
:
dark (describing a place, room, night, etc.)
adjective
Synonyms: काला (kaalaa, meaning scope: 'black,' used for color rather than absence of light)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: As an adjective this word inflects normally, so you will meet अंधेरा कमरा (andheraa kamraa, 'dark room'), अंधेरी रात (andherii raat, 'dark night'), and अंधेरे रास्ते (andhere raaste, 'dark paths') -- the same word simply agreeing with the noun it describes.
Sample Sentences:
यह कमरा बहुत अंधेरा है।
This room is very dark.
(yah kamraa bahut andheraa hai।)
बाहर अंधेरी रात थी और सड़क पर कोई नहीं था।
It was a dark night outside and there was no one on the road.
(baahar andherii raat thii aur sadak par koii nahiin thaa।)
अंधेरे रास्तों पर अकेले मत जाओ।
Don't go alone on dark paths.
(andhere raaston par akele mat jaao।)
अगर कमरा इतना अंधेरा न होता, तो मुझे डर नहीं लगता।
If the room weren't so dark, I wouldn't be scared.
(agar kamraa itnaa andheraa n hotaa, to mujhe dar nahiin lagtaa।)
सर्दियों में शाम पाँच बजे तक आसमान अंधेरा हो जाता है।
In winter, the sky turns dark by five in the evening.
(sardiyon men shaam paanch baje tak aasmaan andheraa ho jaataa hai।)
पूरा घर अंधेरा पड़ा था, जैसे कई दिनों से कोई न रहता हो।
The whole house lay dark, as if no one had lived there for days.
(pooraa ghar andheraa padaa thaa, jaise kaii dinon se koii n rahtaa ho।)
कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि हॉल इतना अंधेरा न हो कि लोग सीढ़ियाँ न देख पाएँ।
Please make sure the hall isn't so dark that people can't see the stairs.
(kripyaa sunishchit karen ki hol itnaa andheraa n ho ki log siidhiyaan n dekh paaen।)
जब बिजली चली गई, तो पूरा मकान अंधेरा हो गया।
When the power went out, the whole house went dark.
(jab bijlii chalii gaii, to pooraa makaan andheraa ho gayaa।)
सुरंग इतनी अंधेरी थी कि हमें टॉर्च जलानी पड़ी।
The tunnel was so dark that we had to turn on a flashlight.
(surang itnii andherii thii ki hamen torch jalaanii padii।)
क्या तुम्हें अंधेरे कमरे से डर लगता है?
Are you scared of a dark room?
(kyaa tumhen andhere kamre se dar lagtaa hai?)
यह इलाका रात में बहुत अंधेरा हो जाता है, इसलिए स्ट्रीट लाइट लगाई जा रही हैं।
This area becomes very dark at night, so streetlights are being installed.
(yah ilaakaa raat men bahut andheraa ho jaataa hai, islie striit laait lagaaii jaa rahii hain।)
Sense
3
:
figurative darkness (ignorance, hopelessness, despair)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: अज्ञान (agyaan, meaning scope: specifically 'ignorance', literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just like in English, अंधेरा (andheraa) extends metaphorically to mean confusion, ignorance, or despair -- ज़िंदगी में अंधेरा (zindgii men andheraa, 'darkness in life') is a common way to talk about hard times, and you'll hear it often in songs, speeches, and heartfelt conversation about struggle and hope.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी ज़िंदगी में बहुत अंधेरा था।
There was a lot of darkness in his life.
(uskii zindgii men bahut andheraa thaa।)
अशिक्षा का अंधेरा पूरे गाँव को घेरे हुए है।
The darkness of illiteracy has engulfed the whole village.
(ashikshaa kaa andheraa poore gaanv ko ghere hue hai।)
निराशा का अंधेरा कभी-कभी सबसे मज़बूत इंसान को भी घेर लेता है।
The darkness of despair sometimes engulfs even the strongest person.
(niraashaa kaa andheraa kabhii-kabhii sabse mazboot insaan ko bhii gher letaa hai।)
अगर उम्मीद न हो, तो अंधेरा और गहरा हो जाता है।
If there is no hope, the darkness grows even deeper.
(agar ummiid n ho, to andheraa aur gahraa ho jaataa hai।)
इस गाने में शायर ने अपने दिल के अंधेरे का ज़िक्र किया है।
In this song, the poet mentions the darkness of his own heart.
(is gaane men shaayar ne apne dil ke andhere kaa zikr kiyaa hai।)
काश उसकी ज़िंदगी का अंधेरा जल्दी छँट जाता।
If only the darkness of his life would clear up soon.
(kaash uskii zindgii kaa andheraa jaldii chhant jaataa।)
नेता जी ने अपने भाषण में कहा कि हमें समाज से अज्ञानता का अंधेरा मिटाना है।
The leader said in his speech that we must erase the darkness of ignorance from society.
(netaa jii ne apne bhaashan men kahaa ki hamen samaaj se agyaantaa kaa andheraa mitaanaa hai।)
मुश्किल वक़्त में भी उम्मीद का एक दीया अंधेरे को दूर कर सकता है।
Even in hard times, one lamp of hope can drive away the darkness.
(mushkil vaqt men bhii ummiid kaa ek diiyaa andhere ko door kar saktaa hai।)
उम्मीद मत छोड़ो, हर अंधेरे के बाद रोशनी आती है।
Don't lose hope, light comes after every darkness.
(ummiid mat chhodo, har andhere ke baad roshnii aatii hai।)
उसके जाने के बाद घर में जो अंधेरा छा गया, वह कभी नहीं गया।
The darkness that settled over the house after he left never went away.
(uske jaane ke baad ghar men jo andheraa chhaa gayaa, vah kabhii nahiin gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
अंधेरा
(andheraa)
(sg.m.oblique):
अंधेरे
(andhere)
(pl.m.direct):
अंधेरे
(andhere)
(pl.m.oblique):
अंधेरों
(andheron)
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
अंधेरा
(andheraa)
(pl.m):
अंधेरे
(andhere)
(sg.f):
अंधेरी
(andherii)
(pl.f):
अंधेरी
(andherii)