दया (dayaa)

noun A single core meaning: mercy or compassion felt toward someone in a weaker or suffering position; it also lives inside a handful of common set phrases.
Sense 1 : mercy, compassion, pity
noun, feminine
Synonyms: करुणा (karunaa, literary), रहम (raham), तरस (taras)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: दया (dayaa) is the word behind common polite requests like कृपया (kripyaa, 'please') is not related, but दया कीजिए (dayaa kiijie, 'have mercy/be kind') shows up in older, more formal or devotional speech, and you'll hear it in bhajans and in appeals for leniency. It pairs naturally with the involuntary-verb pattern typical of Hindi emotion words -- pity is something that 'comes to' (आना, aanaa) you rather than something you actively do, mirroring words like गुस्सा आना (gussaa aanaa, 'to get angry') or प्यार आना (pyaar aanaa, 'to feel love').
Common Mistakes: 1) दया आना (dayaa aanaa, 'to feel pity') is the natural way to express this feeling arising in someone: मुझे उस पर दया आई (mujhe us par dayaa aaii, 'I felt pity for him') -- दया is the grammatical subject, and the person you pity takes पर (par), not को (ko). 2) दया करना (dayaa karnaa) means 'to show mercy/do a kindness,' which is different from just feeling दया (dayaa) -- learners sometimes use करना (karnaa) when आना (aanaa) is what's actually meant.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे उस भिखारी पर दया आ गई। I felt pity for that beggar.
(mujhe us bhikhaarii par dayaa aa gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
भगवान, हम पर दया कीजिए। God, have mercy on us.
(bhagvaan, ham par dayaa kiijie।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जज ने दया दिखाते हुए उसकी सजा कम कर दी। Showing mercy, the judge reduced his sentence.
(jaj ne dayaa dikhaate hue uskii sajaa kam kar dii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसकी हालत देखकर सबको दया आती है। Seeing his condition, everyone feels pity.
(uskii haalat dekhkar sabko dayaa aatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर उसमें थोड़ी भी दया होती, तो वह ऐसा न करता। If he had even a little mercy, he wouldn't do such a thing.
(agar usmen thodii bhii dayaa hotii, to vah aisaa n kartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कैदी ने राजा से दया की भीख माँगी। The prisoner begged the king for mercy.
(kaidii ne raajaa se dayaa kii bhiikh maangii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद उसे भी हम पर दया आ जाए। Perhaps he too will come to feel pity for us.
(shaayad use bhii ham par dayaa aa jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उस पर दया मत करो, वह इसका फायदा उठाएगा। Don't have mercy on him, he'll take advantage of it.
(us par dayaa mat karo, vah iskaa phaaydaa uthaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
घायल पक्षी को देखकर बच्चे के मन में दया उमड़ आई। Seeing the wounded bird, a wave of compassion welled up in the child's heart.
(ghaayal pakshii ko dekhkar bachche ke man men dayaa umad aaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उन कैदियों पर दया करके उन्हें रिहा कर दिया गया। They were released as an act of mercy toward those prisoners.
(un kaidiyon par dayaa karke unhen rihaa kar diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
साहब, थोड़ी दया कर दीजिए, बच्चे भूखे हैं। Sir, please show a little mercy, the children are hungry.
(saahab, thodii dayaa kar diijie, bachche bhookhe hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): दया (dayaa)
(sg.f.oblique): दया (dayaa)
(pl.f.direct): दयाएँ (dayaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): दयाओं (dayaaon)