नेक (nek)
adjective
An adjective meaning morally good, virtuous, or well-intentioned -- used for people, their character, or their intentions/deeds.
Sense
1
:
virtuous, good-natured, morally upright (of a person)
adjective
Synonyms: भला (bhalaa), सज्जन (sajjan), शरीफ़ (shariif)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will often hear elders bless someone with नेक बनो (nek bano, 'be virtuous') or praise a person as नेक दिल (nek dil, 'good-hearted') -- the word carries a slightly moral/religious weight, closer to 'righteous' than casual 'nice.' It pairs naturally with दिल (dil) and इंसान (insaan) in everyday compliments.
Common Mistakes: 1) नेक (nek) describes moral/inner goodness, not skill or quality -- do not use it where you mean 'good at something' (अच्छा (achchhaa) is the general-purpose 'good'). 2) Learners sometimes reach for अच्छा (achchhaa) in every 'good person' context; नेक (nek) adds a slightly more elevated, character-praising flavor and is common in fixed phrases like नेक इंसान (nek insaan, 'a noble person') and नेक दिल (nek dil, 'good-hearted').
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत नेक इंसान है।
He is a very virtuous person.
(vah bahut nek insaan hai।)
मेरी दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि नेक बनो, नाम नहीं कमाना।
My grandmother always used to say, be virtuous, don't chase fame.
(merii daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki nek bano, naam nahiin kamaanaa।)
बेटा, नेक बनो और सबकी मदद करो।
Son, be virtuous and help everyone.
(betaa, nek bano aur sabkii madad karo।)
वह नेक दिल औरत गरीबों को हर रोज़ खाना खिलाती है।
That good-hearted woman feeds the poor every day.
(vah nek dil aurat gariibon ko har roz khaanaa khilaatii hai।)
अगर वह इतना नेक न होता, तो इतनी बड़ी मुसीबत में किसी की मदद न करता।
If he weren't so virtuous, he wouldn't have helped anyone in such a big crisis.
(agar vah itnaa nek n hotaa, to itnii badii musiibat men kisii kii madad n kartaa।)
काश मैं भी उसके जैसा नेक इंसान होता।
I wish I were as virtuous a person as him.
(kaash main bhii uske jaisaa nek insaan hotaa।)
गाँव में उसे एक नेक इंसान के तौर पर याद किया जाता है।
In the village, he is remembered as a virtuous man.
(gaanv men use ek nek insaan ke taur par yaad kiyaa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम सच में इतने नेक हो कि झूठ कभी बोल ही नहीं सकते?
Are you really so virtuous that you can never even tell a lie?
(kyaa tum sach men itne nek ho ki jhooth kabhii bol hii nahiin sakte?)
साहब, आप जैसा नेक दिल आदमी मिलना मुश्किल है।
Sir, it's hard to find a good-hearted man like you.
(saahab, aap jaisaa nek dil aadmii milnaa mushkil hai।)
उन दिनों वह इतनी नेक हो गई थी कि सब उसकी मिसाल देते थे।
In those days she had become so virtuous that everyone used her as an example.
(un dinon vah itnii nek ho gaii thii ki sab uskii misaal dete the।)
Sense
2
:
well-intentioned, honorable (of an intention, deed, or advice)
adjective Commonly appears in the fixed collocation नेक इरादा (nek iraadaa, 'good/honest intention') and नेक सलाह (nek salaah, 'well-meant advice').
Synonyms: अच्छा (achchhaa), पवित्र (pavitr, of intent/purpose)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The phrase नेक इरादे से (nek iraade se, 'with good intentions') is a common way to explain that someone acted from honorable motives, even if the outcome went wrong -- a very Hindi way of separating intention from result.
Common Mistakes: 1) Used to qualify abstract nouns like इरादा (iraadaa, 'intention') or सलाह (salaah, 'advice') rather than concrete objects -- learners sometimes misapply it to physical things, where अच्छा (achchhaa) is correct instead.
Sample Sentences:
उसने नेक इरादे से यह बात कही थी।
He had said this with good intentions.
(usne nek iraade se yah baat kahii thii।)
यह एक नेक सलाह है, इसे मान लो।
This is well-meant advice, accept it.
(yah ek nek salaah hai, ise maan lo।)
उसका इरादा नेक था, मगर नतीजा अच्छा नहीं निकला।
His intention was honorable, but the result did not turn out well.
(uskaa iraadaa nek thaa, magar natiijaa achchhaa nahiin niklaa।)
काश वह हमेशा नेक इरादे से काम करता।
If only he always worked with good intentions.
(kaash vah hameshaa nek iraade se kaam kartaa।)
अगर उसकी सलाह नेक न होती, तो हम उसे कभी न सुनते।
If his advice had not been well-meant, we would never have listened to him.
(agar uskii salaah nek n hotii, to ham use kabhii n sunte।)
सरकार का यह कदम नेक मंशा से उठाया गया था।
This step by the government was taken with honorable intent.
(sarkaar kaa yah kadam nek manshaa se uthaayaa gayaa thaa।)
शायद उसका मकसद नेक हो, फिर भी तरीका गलत था।
Perhaps his purpose was well-meant, yet the method was wrong.
(shaayad uskaa maksad nek ho, phir bhii tariikaa galat thaa।)
वह नेक इरादे से हर किसी की मदद करता है।
He helps everyone with well-meant intentions.
(vah nek iraade se har kisii kii madad kartaa hai।)
उम्मीद है कि यह फैसला नेक इरादे से लिया गया हो।
It is hoped that this decision was made with good intentions.
(ummiid hai ki yah phaislaa nek iraade se liyaa gayaa ho।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
नेक
(nek)