हानि (haani)

noun A formal/written-register word for 'loss, damage, harm' -- covers both financial loss and physical/abstract harm. There is also a fixed idiom pairing it with लाभ (laabh, 'profit').

Sense 1 : loss, damage (financial or material)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: नुकसान (nuksaan), घाटा (ghaataa, especially financial/business loss), क्षति (kshati, literary)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This word shows up constantly in the fixed pairing लाभ-हानि (laabh-haani, 'profit and loss') -- a phrase you will see on the cover of school accountancy notebooks and hear in business news. In everyday bazaar talk, though, people almost always say नुकसान (nuksaan) instead.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for नुकसान (nuksaan) by default since it is more common in speech; हानि (haani) is not wrong but sounds more formal or written, like something from a news report or textbook rather than casual conversation. 2) Used with होना (honaa) ('to occur') or उठाना (uthaanaa) ('to bear/suffer'), not करना (karnaa) when describing loss happening to someone -- you say व्यापार में हानि हुई (vyaapaar men haani huii, 'there was a loss in the business'), not that someone 'did' the loss.

Sample Sentences:

इस सौदे में कंपनी को भारी हानि हुई। The company suffered a heavy loss in this deal.

(is saude men kampnii ko bhaarii haani huii।)

हर व्यापारी को लाभ-हानि का हिसाब रखना चाहिए। Every trader should keep an account of profit and loss.

(har vyaapaarii ko laabh-haani kaa hisaab rakhnaa chaahie।)

बाढ़ से किसानों को लाखों रुपये की हानि पहुँची है। The flood has caused millions of rupees in losses to the farmers.

(baadh se kisaanon ko laakhon rupye kii haani pahunchii hai।)

वार्षिक रिपोर्ट में इस तिमाही की हानि का ब्योरा दिया गया है। The annual report gives details of this quarter's loss.

(vaarshik riport men is timaahii kii haani kaa byoraa diyaa gayaa hai।)

अगर हमने समय पर निर्णय न लिया होता तो और अधिक हानि होती। If we hadn't made the decision in time, there would have been even more loss.

(agar hamne samay par nirnay n liyaa hotaa to aur adhik haani hotii।)

इस योजना से किसी को कोई हानि नहीं होगी। This plan will not cause any loss to anyone.

(is yojnaa se kisii ko koii haani nahiin hogii।)

प्रबंधन इस बात का आकलन कर रहा है कि हानि की भरपाई कैसे की जाए। The management is assessing how the loss can be compensated for.

(prabandhan is baat kaa aaklan kar rahaa hai ki haani kii bharpaaii kaise kii jaae।)

शेयर बाज़ार में गिरावट के कारण निवेशकों को भारी हानि उठानी पड़ी। Due to the fall in the stock market, investors had to bear heavy losses.

(sheyar baazaar men giraavat ke kaaran niveshkon ko bhaarii haani uthaanii padii।)

लेखा-परीक्षक ने हानि के आँकड़ों की जाँच की। The auditor examined the loss figures.

(lekhaa-pariikshak ne haani ke aankdon kii jaanch kii।)

Sense 2 : harm, injury (to health, reputation, etc.)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: नुकसान (nuksaan), क्षति (kshati, literary), नुक्सान (nuksaan, variant spelling)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You will meet this sense often in public-health slogans and warning labels -- धूम्रपान स्वास्थ्य के लिए हानिकारक है (dhoomrpaan svaasthy ke lie haanikaarak hai, 'smoking is harmful to health') uses the related adjective हानिकारक (haanikaarak), built directly from this noun.

Common Mistakes: 1) In sentences about health or well-being, हानि (haani) pairs naturally with पहुँचाना (pahunchaanaa, 'to cause harm to') -- e.g. सेहत को हानि पहुँचाना (sehat ko haani pahunchaanaa, 'to harm one's health') -- the person or thing affected takes को (ko), not से (se).

Sample Sentences:

धूम्रपान से स्वास्थ्य को बहुत हानि पहुँचती है। Smoking causes great harm to health.

(dhoomrpaan se svaasthy ko bahut haani pahunchtii hai।)

इस दवा के अधिक सेवन से शरीर को हानि हो सकती है। Excessive use of this medicine can harm the body.

(is davaa ke adhik sevan se shariir ko haani ho saktii hai।)

झूठी अफवाहों ने उसकी प्रतिष्ठा को गहरी हानि पहुँचाई। False rumors caused deep harm to his reputation.

(jhoothii aphvaahon ne uskii pratishthaa ko gahrii haani pahunchaaii।)

बच्चों को मोबाइल की अधिकता से होने वाली हानि के बारे में समझाइए। Please explain to the children about the harm caused by excessive mobile use.

(bachchon ko mobaail kii adhiktaa se hone vaalii haani ke baare men samjhaaie।)

अगर तुम समय पर सो जाते, तो तुम्हारे स्वास्थ्य को इतनी हानि न पहुँचती। If you had slept on time, your health wouldn't have suffered so much harm.

(agar tum samay par so jaate, to tumhaare svaasthy ko itnii haani n pahunchtii।)

इस उत्पाद पर लिखा है कि यह त्वचा के लिए हानिकारक हो सकता है। It is written on this product that it can be harmful to the skin.

(is utpaad par likhaa hai ki yah tvachaa ke lie haanikaarak ho saktaa hai।)

डॉक्टर ने कहा कि तनाव से हृदय को भारी हानि पहुँच सकती है। The doctor said that stress can cause serious harm to the heart.

(doktar ne kahaa ki tanaav se hriday ko bhaarii haani pahunch saktii hai।)

यह मलहम त्वचा को कोई हानि नहीं पहुँचाता। This ointment does not cause any harm to the skin.

(yah malaham tvachaa ko koii haani nahiin pahunchaataa।)

काश हमें पहले पता होता कि यह आदत कितनी हानि पहुँचाएगी। I wish we had known earlier how much harm this habit would cause.

(kaash hamen pahle pataa hotaa ki yah aadat kitnii haani pahunchaaegii।)

प्रदूषण से फेफड़ों को स्थायी हानि पहुँचाई जा सकती है। Permanent harm can be caused to the lungs by pollution.

(pradooshan se phephdon ko sthaayii haani pahunchaaii jaa saktii hai।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): हानि (haani)

(sg.f.oblique): हानि (haani)

(pl.f.direct): हानिएँ (haanien)

(pl.f.oblique): हानिओं (haanion)