घना (ghanaa)

adjective An adjective describing thickness or density -- most often heard about hair, forests, fog, or crowds, and occasionally used figuratively for close/deep relationships.

Sense 1 : dense, thick (of physical things -- hair, forest, fog, crowd)

adjective

Synonyms: गाढ़ा (gaadhaa, used more for liquids/colors), भरा-पूरा (bharaa-pooraa, of a full/lush thing like hair or a crowd)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Picture घना जंगल (ghanaa jangal, 'dense forest') or घने बाल (ghane baal, 'thick hair') -- this is the word Indian shampoo ads love, promising बाल घने और काले (baal ghane aur kaale, 'hair thick and black'). It also shows up in winter news reports as घना कोहरा (ghanaa kohraa, 'dense fog'), a very real Delhi-NCR January experience.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for गाढ़ा (gaadhaa) when they mean घना (ghanaa) -- गाढ़ा (gaadhaa) suits liquids, colors, and relationships (गाढ़ी दोस्ती (gaadhii dostii, 'thick/close friendship')), while घना (ghanaa) is for things made of many close-packed strands or particles: hair, trees, fog, smoke, crowds.

Sample Sentences:

आज सुबह बहुत घना कोहरा था। This morning there was very dense fog.

(aaj subah bahut ghanaa kohraa thaa।)

इस शैम्पू से आपके बाल घने और काले हो जाएँगे। With this shampoo your hair will become thick and black.

(is shaimpoo se aapke baal ghane aur kaale ho jaaenge।)

वह घने जंगल में खो गया। He got lost in the dense forest.

(vah ghane jangal men kho gayaa।)

सर्दियों में दिल्ली में अक्सर घना कोहरा छाया रहता है। In winter, dense fog often blankets Delhi.

(sardiyon men dillii men aksar ghanaa kohraa chhaayaa rahtaa hai।)

अगर तेल लगाओ तो बाल घने रहते हैं। If you apply oil, your hair stays thick.

(agar tel lagaao to baal ghane rahte hain।)

मेले में इतनी घनी भीड़ थी कि हिलना मुश्किल था। The crowd at the fair was so dense that it was hard to move.

(mele men itnii ghanii bhiid thii ki hilnaa mushkil thaa।)

काश उसके बाल इतने घने होते। If only his hair were that thick.

(kaash uske baal itne ghane hote।)

घने कोहरे के कारण कई उड़ानें रद्द कर दी गईं। Due to the dense fog, several flights were cancelled.

(ghane kohre ke kaaran kaii udaanen radd kar dii gaiin।)

पेड़ों की घनी छाया में बैठकर उसने आराम किया। Sitting in the dense shade of the trees, he rested.

(pedon kii ghanii chhaayaa men baithkar usne aaraam kiyaa।)

यह क्रीम लगाओ, इससे बाल घने हो जाएँगे। Apply this cream, it will make your hair thick.

(yah kriim lagaao, isse baal ghane ho jaaenge।)

क्या इससे भी ज़्यादा घना कोहरा हो सकता है? Can the fog possibly get even denser than this?

(kyaa isse bhii zyaadaa ghanaa kohraa ho saktaa hai?)

Sense 2 : close, intimate (of a bond or relationship)

adjective

Synonyms: गहरा (gahraa, more common for this sense), गाढ़ा (gaadhaa, as in गाढ़ी दोस्ती (gaadhii dostii, 'close friendship'))

Frequency: low

Cultural Note: This figurative extension treats a relationship as if it had the same close-packed density as thick hair or a dense forest -- घना रिश्ता (ghanaa rishtaa, 'close/intimate relationship'). It's less common than गहरा (gahraa) for this meaning, so learners will hear it less often, but it's not wrong.

Sample Sentences:

उन दोनों भाइयों का रिश्ता बहुत घना है। The bond between those two brothers is very close.

(un donon bhaaiyon kaa rishtaa bahut ghanaa hai।)

हमारी दोस्ती धीरे-धीरे और घनी होती गई। Our friendship gradually became closer and closer.

(hamaarii dostii dhiire-dhiire aur ghanii hotii gaii।)

काश उनका रिश्ता इतना घना न होता, तो अलग होना इतना मुश्किल न होता। If only their bond hadn't been so close, parting wouldn't have been so hard.

(kaash unkaa rishtaa itnaa ghanaa n hotaa, to alag honaa itnaa mushkil n hotaa।)

क्या तुम्हारा उससे कोई घना रिश्ता है? Do you have some close relationship with him?

(kyaa tumhaaraa usse koii ghanaa rishtaa hai?)

बरसों साथ काम करने से उनमें एक घना बंधन बन गया। Working together for years, a close bond formed between them.

(barson saath kaam karne se unmen ek ghanaa bandhan ban gayaa।)

गुरु और शिष्य का यह घना संबंध शब्दों में बयान नहीं किया जा सकता। This intimate bond between guru and disciple cannot be expressed in words.

(guru aur shishy kaa yah ghanaa sambandh shabdon men bayaan nahiin kiyaa jaa saktaa।)

समय के साथ उनका घना रिश्ता कमजोर पड़ने लगा। Over time, their close relationship began to weaken.

(samay ke saath unkaa ghanaa rishtaa kamjor padne lagaa।)

अगर हमारा रिश्ता इतना घना न होता तो मैं तुमसे यह बात कभी न कहता। If our relationship weren't so close, I would never have told you this.

(agar hamaaraa rishtaa itnaa ghanaa n hotaa to main tumse yah baat kabhii n kahtaa।)

उन दो परिवारों के बीच पीढ़ियों पुराना घना संबंध रहा है। There has been a generations-old close bond between those two families.

(un do parivaaron ke biich piidhiyon puraanaa ghanaa sambandh rahaa hai।)

Morphology

Adjective (variable)

(sg.m): घना (ghanaa)

(pl.m): घने (ghane)

(sg.f): घनी (ghanii)

(pl.f): घनी (ghanii)