नंगापन (nangaapan)

noun An abstract noun built from नंगा (nangaa, 'naked/bare') plus the suffix -पन (-pan), meaning 'nakedness' both literally and, more commonly in everyday speech, figuratively as shamelessness or crude vulgarity of behavior.
Sense 1 : shameless/vulgar behavior (figurative)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बेशर्मी (besharmii), अश्लीलता (ashliiltaa, formal, about obscene content specifically), फूहड़पन (phoohadpan, crude/tasteless behavior)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this word thrown at behavior on TV debates, in family arguments about a relative's crude jokes, or describing a shameless public act -- सरेआम नंगापन (sareaam nangaapan, 'brazen shamelessness out in the open') is a common combination. It works like calling someone's conduct 'indecent' or 'shameless' in English, with the same edge of moral judgment.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for this word to mean literal undress, but in everyday conversation it is used far more often to criticize crude, shameless, or tasteless conduct -- e.g. a vulgar joke, an embarrassing public scene, or brazen misbehavior, not actual clothing. 2) It carries real disapproval; it is not a neutral or clinical term the way 'nudity' can be in English.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी बातों में इतना नंगापन था कि सब शर्मिंदा हो गए। There was so much crudeness in his words that everyone got embarrassed.
(uskii baaton men itnaa nangaapan thaa ki sab sharmindaa ho gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
टीवी डिबेट में इतना नंगापन दिखाया जाता है कि देखना मुश्किल हो जाता है। So much shamelessness is shown on TV debates that it becomes hard to watch.
(tiivii dibet men itnaa nangaapan dikhaayaa jaataa hai ki dekhnaa mushkil ho jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सरेआम नंगापन करते हुए उसे कोई शर्म नहीं आई। Even while behaving with brazen shamelessness out in the open, he felt no shame at all.
(sareaam nangaapan karte hue use koii sharm nahiin aaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपने चाचा के गंदे मज़ाकों का नंगापन अब बर्दाश्त नहीं होता। I can't tolerate the crudeness of my uncle's dirty jokes anymore.
(apne chaachaa ke gande mazaakon kaa nangaapan ab bardaasht nahiin hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश उसके भाषण में इतना नंगापन न होता। I wish there hadn't been so much vulgarity in his speech.
(kaash uske bhaashan men itnaa nangaapan n hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह अपने बयानों का नंगापन थोड़ा कम करता, तो लोग उसे इज़्ज़त देते। If he had toned down the crudeness of his statements a bit, people would have respected him.
(agar vah apne bayaanon kaa nangaapan thodaa kam kartaa, to log use izzat dete।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस विज्ञापन का नंगापन देखकर मुझे बहुत गुस्सा आया। Seeing the vulgarity of this advertisement made me really angry.
(is vigyaapan kaa nangaapan dekhkar mujhe bahut gussaa aayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
समाज में बढ़ते नंगापन को रोकना हमारी सबकी ज़िम्मेदारी है। Stopping the growing vulgarity in society is all our responsibility.
(samaaj men badhte nangaapan ko roknaa hamaarii sabkii zimmedaarii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपने वीडियो में इस तरह का नंगापन मत परोसिए। Please do not serve up this kind of crudeness in your videos.
(kripyaa apne viidiyo men is tarah kaa nangaapan mat parosie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पत्रकार ने नेता के बयान के नंगापन पर सवाल उठाया। The journalist questioned the shamelessness of the leader's statement.
(patrkaar ne netaa ke bayaan ke nangaapan par savaal uthaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : literal nakedness/bareness
noun, masculine
Synonyms: नग्नता (nagntaa, formal/clinical register)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This literal sense exists but is less common in casual speech than नग्नता (nagntaa) or simply describing someone as नंगा (nangaa); नंगापन (nangaapan) itself leans toward the figurative, judgmental sense above in most real conversation.
Sample Sentences:
बच्चे का नंगापन देखकर सब हँस पड़े। Seeing the child's nakedness, everyone burst out laughing.
(bachche kaa nangaapan dekhkar sab hans pade।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस मूर्ति का नंगापन कलात्मक माना जाता है, अश्लील नहीं। The bareness of that statue is considered artistic, not obscene.
(us moorti kaa nangaapan kalaatmak maanaa jaataa hai, ashliil nahiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
ठंड में पेड़ों का नंगापन बहुत उदास कर देता है। In the cold, the bareness of the trees makes one very sad.
(thand men pedon kaa nangaapan bahut udaas kar detaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर दीवार का नंगापन ढका होता तो कमरा इतना खाली न लगता। If the wall's bareness had been covered, the room wouldn't have looked so empty.
(agar diivaar kaa nangaapan dhakaa hotaa to kamraa itnaa khaalii n lagtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Passive
पहाड़ी की चोटी का नंगापन दूर से भी साफ़ दिखता था। The bareness of the hilltop was clearly visible even from a distance.
(pahaadii kii chotii kaa nangaapan door se bhii saaf dikhtaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने जाँच के लिए मरीज़ का शरीर नंगा किया, लेकिन उसका नंगापन सिर्फ़ चिकित्सा की ज़रूरत थी। The doctor bared the patient's body for examination, but that nakedness was purely a medical necessity.
(doktar ne jaanch ke lie mariiz kaa shariir nangaa kiyaa, lekin uskaa nangaapan sirf chikitsaa kii zaroorat thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
फ़िल्म में शरीर का नंगापन दिखाया गया, जिसकी बहुत आलोचना हुई। The film showed bodily nakedness, which was heavily criticized.
(film men shariir kaa nangaapan dikhaayaa gayaa, jiskii bahut aalochnaa huii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
कलाकार अपनी पेंटिंग में मानव शरीर के नंगेपन को स्वाभाविक तरीके से दिखाना चाहता था। The artist wanted to depict the nakedness of the human body naturally in his painting.
(kalaakaar apnii penting men maanav shariir ke nangepan ko svaabhaavik tariike se dikhaanaa chaahtaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): नंगापन (nangaapan)
(sg.m.oblique): नंगापन (nangaapan)
(pl.m.direct): नंगापन (nangaapan)
(pl.m.oblique): नंगापनों (nangaapnon)