इंतज़ार (intzaar)

noun A single-sense noun meaning 'wait/waiting', almost always paired with the verb करना (karnaa) 'to do' -- इंतज़ार करना (intzaar karnaa) 'to wait'.
Sense 1 : waiting, expectation
noun, masculine Almost always used with करना (karnaa) as इंतज़ार करना (intzaar karnaa, 'to wait') where the thing waited for takes का (kaa)/की (kii)/के (ke): उसका इंतज़ार (uskaa intzaar, 'wait for him/her').
Synonyms: प्रतीक्षा (pratiikshaa, formal), राह देखना (raah dekhnaa, verb phrase meaning 'to watch the path/await')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: इंतज़ार (intzaar) carries a slightly more emotional or yearning color than the plainer प्रतीक्षा (pratiikshaa), which shows up more in official or written contexts like railway announcements. You'll hear इंतज़ार constantly in songs and daily speech alike -- तेरा इंतज़ार (teraa intzaar, 'waiting for you') is a phrase every Hindi film soundtrack seems to reach for at some point.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say 'मैं इंतज़ार हूँ' by analogy with English 'I am waiting' -- Hindi needs the light verb: मैं इंतज़ार कर रहा हूँ (main intzaar kar rahaa hoon, 'I am waiting'). 2) The thing being awaited is marked with का/की/के, not को: उसकी बस का इंतज़ार (uskii bas kaa intzaar, 'waiting for her bus'), not उसकी बस को इंतज़ार.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे तुम्हारा इंतज़ार है। I am waiting for you.
(mujhe tumhaaraa intzaar hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह घंटों से मेरा इंतज़ार कर रही थी। She had been waiting for me for hours.
(vah ghanton se meraa intzaar kar rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हमें उसके जवाब का इंतज़ार करना पड़ा। We had to wait for his answer.
(hamen uske javaab kaa intzaar karnaa padaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तेरा इंतज़ार करते-करते रात हो गई। Night fell while I kept waiting for you.
(teraa intzaar karte-karte raat ho gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम समय पर आते, तो इतना इंतज़ार नहीं करना पड़ता। If you had come on time, we wouldn't have had to wait so much.
(agar tum samay par aate, to itnaa intzaar nahiin karnaa padtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
थोड़ा इंतज़ार कर लो, वह अभी आती है। Wait a little, she'll be here right now.
(thodaa intzaar kar lo, vah abhii aatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद उसे मेरे फ़ोन का इंतज़ार हो। Maybe she's waiting for my call.
(shaayad use mere fon kaa intzaar ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बरसों का इंतज़ार आज खत्म हुआ। Years of waiting ended today.
(barson kaa intzaar aaj khatm huaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया कुछ देर इंतज़ार कीजिए, अधिकारी अभी व्यस्त हैं। Please wait a while, the officer is busy right now.
(kripyaa kuchh der intzaar kiijie, adhikaarii abhii vyast hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इस गाने में हीरो अपनी महबूबा का इंतज़ार करता रहता है। In this song, the hero keeps waiting for his beloved.
(is gaane men hiiro apnii mahboobaa kaa intzaar kartaa rahtaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसका इंतज़ार करते-करते मेरी आँखें थक गई हैं। My eyes have grown tired from waiting and waiting for him.
(uskaa intzaar karte-karte merii aankhen thak gaii hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): इंतज़ार (intzaar)
(sg.m.oblique): इंतज़ार (intzaar)
(pl.m.direct): इंतज़ार (intzaar)
(pl.m.oblique): इंतज़ारों (intzaaron)