हौसला (hauslaa)

noun A warm, motivational noun meaning courage or morale -- the inner spirit that keeps you going. One core sense, but it lives inside several very common set phrases.
Sense 1 : courage, morale, spirit to keep going
noun, masculine
Synonyms: हिम्मत (himmat), जोश (josh, enthusiasm/energy angle), उत्साह (utsaah, enthusiasm angle)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear हौसला बढ़ाना (hauslaa badhaanaa, 'to boost someone's morale') constantly -- at cricket matches, exam times, hospital visits, anywhere someone needs encouragement. Its opposite, हौसला टूटना (hauslaa tootnaa, 'for morale to break/shatter'), captures that very Hindi idea of courage as a fragile thing that can be built up or knocked down from outside, rather than a fixed personal trait.
Common Mistakes: 1) हौसला (hauslaa) is usually paired with a light verb: बढ़ाना (badhaanaa, to boost), रखना (rakhnaa, to keep up), or टूटना (tootnaa, to be shattered) -- learners sometimes try to use it as a standalone verb-like word instead of plugging it into one of these fixed frames. 2) हौसला (hauslaa) leans toward 'staying power/morale in the face of difficulty,' while हिम्मत (himmat) leans toward 'daring to act' -- they overlap but native speakers often reach for one over the other depending on whether the situation is about enduring or about acting boldly.
Sample Sentences:
उसका हौसला देखकर सब हैरान रह गए। Seeing his courage, everyone was left astonished.
(uskaa hauslaa dekhkar sab hairaan rah gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुश्किल वक़्त में भी उसका हौसला नहीं टूटता। Even in hard times, his morale doesn't break.
(mushkil vaqt men bhii uskaa hauslaa nahiin toottaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
परीक्षा से पहले पापा ने मेरा हौसला बढ़ाया। Before the exam, dad boosted my morale.
(pariikshaa se pahle paapaa ne meraa hauslaa badhaayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हार के बाद उसका हौसला टूट गया। After the defeat, his morale shattered.
(haar ke baad uskaa hauslaa toot gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अस्पताल में सब उसका हौसला बढ़ा रहे थे। In the hospital, everyone was boosting his morale.
(asptaal men sab uskaa hauslaa badhaa rahe the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हौसला बनाए रखो, सब ठीक हो जाएगा। Keep your courage up, everything will be fine.
(hauslaa banaae rakho, sab thiik ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश उसका हौसला इतनी जल्दी न टूटता। I wish his morale hadn't broken so quickly.
(kaash uskaa hauslaa itnii jaldii n toottaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
टीम का हौसला बढ़ाने के लिए कप्तान ने भाषण दिया। To boost the team's morale, the captain gave a speech.
(tiim kaa hauslaa badhaane ke lie kaptaan ne bhaashan diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम्हारा हौसला बना रहे, तो कुछ भी मुश्किल नहीं है। If your morale stays intact, nothing is difficult.
(agar tumhaaraa hauslaa banaa rahe, to kuchh bhii mushkil nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्रिकेट मैच में दर्शकों ने खिलाड़ियों का हौसला बढ़ाया। At the cricket match, the spectators boosted the players' morale.
(kriket maich men darshkon ne khilaadiyon kaa hauslaa badhaayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसके हौसले को टूटने नहीं देना चाहिए था। His morale shouldn't have been allowed to break.
(uske hausle ko tootne nahiin denaa chaahie thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): हौसला (hauslaa)
(sg.m.oblique): हौसले (hausle)
(pl.m.direct): हौसले (hausle)
(pl.m.oblique): हौसलों (hauslon)