ज़माना (zamaanaa)
noun/verb
Primarily a noun meaning 'time/era/world (as in the people around you)'; also has a less common verb sense meaning 'to establish or set firmly.' The noun sense is far more common in everyday speech and idiom.
Sense
1
:
era, times, the world/society around one
noun, masculine Often used with पुराना (puraanaa) or नया (nayaa) to contrast 'old days' vs. 'modern times,' and frequently personified as if it has opinions or moods, e.g. ज़माना क्या कहेगा (zamaanaa kyaa kahegaa, 'what will people/the world say').
Synonyms: दौर (daur), युग (yug, literary), वक़्त (vaqt, overlaps in 'time period' sense), दुनिया (duniyaa, when meaning 'people/society')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word carries a wistful, philosophical weight in Hindi-Urdu speech and especially in Bollywood lyrics and shayari, where ज़माना (zamaanaa) is cast almost as a character -- judgmental, changing, indifferent to lovers. You'll hear elders sigh आज का ज़माना और है (aaj kaa zamaanaa aur hai, 'today's world/generation is different') to mark generational change.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often translate ज़माना (zamaanaa) narrowly as 'time' and miss its second core sense of 'people/society/the world at large' -- as in ज़माना बहुत आगे बढ़ गया है (zamaanaa bahut aage badh gayaa hai, 'the world/society has moved far ahead'), which isn't about clock-time at all. 2) It is masculine, so possessives and adjectives agree accordingly (इस ज़माने में (is zamaane men), not the feminine forms).
Sample Sentences:
आज का ज़माना बहुत बदल गया है।
Today's world has changed a lot.
(aaj kaa zamaanaa bahut badal gayaa hai।)
हमारे ज़माने में लोग एक-दूसरे की ज़्यादा परवाह करते थे।
In our times, people used to care about each other more.
(hamaare zamaane men log ek-doosre kii zyaadaa parvaah karte the।)
ज़माना किसी की मोहब्बत की परवाह कब करता है।
Since when does the world care about anyone's love?
(zamaanaa kisii kii mohabbat kii parvaah kab kartaa hai।)
अगर ज़माना इतना बेरहम न होता तो हम साथ होते।
If the world weren't so cruel, we would be together.
(agar zamaanaa itnaa beraham n hotaa to ham saath hote।)
दादी कहती हैं, आज का ज़माना और है।
Grandma says, today's generation is different.
(daadii kahtii hain, aaj kaa zamaanaa aur hai।)
ज़माने ने उसे बहुत कुछ सिखाया है।
The world has taught her a great deal.
(zamaane ne use bahut kuchh sikhaayaa hai।)
क्या पता कल का ज़माना कैसा होगा।
Who knows what tomorrow's world will be like.
(kyaa pataa kal kaa zamaanaa kaisaa hogaa।)
यह ज़माना बड़ा बेवफ़ा है, यहाँ किसी का साथ नहीं मिलता।
This world is very unfaithful; no one's companionship lasts here.
(yah zamaanaa badaa bevfaa hai, yahaan kisii kaa saath nahiin miltaa।)
ज़माने को क्या पता कि उसके दिल पर क्या गुज़री।
What does the world know of what passed through his heart?
(zamaane ko kyaa pataa ki uske dil par kyaa guzrii।)
ज़माना चाहे जो कहे, मुझे फ़र्क़ नहीं पड़ता।
Whatever the world may say, it doesn't matter to me.
(zamaanaa chaahe jo kahe, mujhe farq nahiin padtaa।)
उस ज़माने में मोबाइल फ़ोन नहीं होते थे।
Back in those days, there were no mobile phones.
(us zamaane men mobaail fon nahiin hote the।)
Sense
2
:
to establish, fix firmly, set up
verb, transitive This is the causative of जमना (jamnaa, 'to set/gel/take hold') -- used for making something set (like curd, jamaanaa doodh se dahii, doodh se dahii jamaanaa, 'to set curd from milk') or metaphorically establishing one's position or influence (अपना असर जमाना (apnaa asar jamaanaa, 'to establish one's influence')).
Synonyms: जमाना (jamaanaa, same word without nuqta, standard causative sense), स्थापित करना (sthaapit karnaa, formal/more literal 'establish')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in kitchen contexts (दही जमाना (dahii jamaanaa, 'to set yogurt')) and in social ones, like जमाना असर (asar jamaanaa, 'making an impression/establishing sway') -- both senses share the core idea of 'making something take hold.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this verb sense with the much more common noun ज़माना (zamaanaa, 'era/world') since they're spelled identically once the nuqta is dropped in casual writing -- context (presence of an object, verb position) disambiguates them. 2) This spelling with the nuqta is less standard for the verb; जमाना (jamaanaa) without the nuqta is the usual way to write this verb sense.
Sample Sentences:
माँ रात को दही जमाती हैं।
Mom sets the yogurt at night.
(maan raat ko dahii jamaatii hain।)
उसने पहली मुलाक़ात में ही सबके सामने अपना असर जमा लिया।
He established his influence in front of everyone right at the first meeting.
(usne pahlii mulaaqaat men hii sabke saamne apnaa asar jamaa liyaa।)
मज़दूर नींव के पत्थर मज़बूती से जमा रहे थे।
The workers were firmly setting the foundation stones.
(mazdoor niinv ke patthar mazbootii se jamaa rahe the।)
दही जमाओ, फिर उसे फ्रिज में रख देना।
Set the yogurt, then put it in the fridge.
(dahii jamaao, phir use phrij men rakh denaa।)
नए दफ़्तर में अपनी धाक जमाने के लिए उसे कड़ी मेहनत करनी पड़ी।
To establish his sway in the new office, he had to work very hard.
(nae daftar men apnii dhaak jamaane ke lie use kadii mehnat karnii padii।)
अगर वह थोड़ा और आत्मविश्वास से बात करता, तो अपना असर जमा लेता।
If he had spoken with a bit more confidence, he would have established his impression.
(agar vah thodaa aur aatmvishvaas se baat kartaa, to apnaa asar jamaa letaa।)
यह मेज़ इतनी हल्की है कि पैर ठीक से जमाया नहीं जा सकता।
This table is so light that its leg cannot be set firmly.
(yah mez itnii halkii hai ki pair thiik se jamaayaa nahiin jaa saktaa।)
मंच पर खंभे इस तरह जमाए गए थे कि पूरा तंबू टिका रहे।
The poles on the stage had been set in such a way that the whole tent would stay standing.
(manch par khambhe is tarah jamaae gae the ki pooraa tamboo tikaa rahe।)
शायद वह अपनी बात का असर जमाना चाहता हो।
Perhaps he wants to establish the effect of his words.
(shaayad vah apnii baat kaa asar jamaanaa chaahtaa ho।)
दुकानदार हर सुबह सामान इतनी सफ़ाई से जमाता है कि देखने वाला रुक ही जाए।
The shopkeeper arranges the goods so neatly every morning that any onlooker just stops to look.
(dukaandaar har subah saamaan itnii safaaii se jamaataa hai ki dekhne vaalaa ruk hii jaae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ज़माना
(zamaanaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
ज़माने
(zamaane)
(pl.m.direct):
ज़माने
(zamaane)
(pl.m.oblique):
ज़मानों
(zamaanon)
Verb
infinitive:
ज़माना
(zamaanaa)
infinitive oblique:
ज़माने
(zamaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ज़माता
(zamaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ज़माते
(zamaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ज़माती
(zamaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ज़मातीं
(zamaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ज़मा रहा
(zamaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ज़मा रहे
(zamaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ज़मा रही
(zamaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ज़मा रहीं
(zamaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ज़माया
(zamaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ज़माए
(zamaae)
perfective (sg.f):
ज़माई
(zamaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
ज़माईं
(zamaaiin)
imperative (informal):
ज़मा
(zamaa)
imperative (neutral):
ज़माओ
(zamaao)
imperative (formal):
ज़माइए
(zamaaie)
future (1sg.m):
ज़माऊँगा
(zamaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ज़माऊँगी
(zamaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
ज़माएँगे
(zamaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
ज़माएँगी
(zamaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
ज़माएगा
(zamaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ज़माएगी
(zamaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
ज़माओगे
(zamaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
ज़माओगी
(zamaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
ज़माएगा
(zamaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ज़माएगी
(zamaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
ज़माएँगे
(zamaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
ज़माएँगी
(zamaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ज़माऊँ
(zamaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ज़माएँ
(zamaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
ज़माए
(zamaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
ज़माओ
(zamaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
ज़माए
(zamaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
ज़माएँ
(zamaaen)