वन (van)

noun A formal/literary word for 'forest, woods' -- मुख्य रूप से लिखित हिंदी और यौगिक शब्दों में मिलता है (found mainly in written Hindi and compound words); the everyday spoken word is जंगल (jangal).
Sense 1 : forest, woods
noun, masculine
Synonyms: जंगल (jangal), अरण्य (arany, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: वन (van) carries a slightly more formal, almost official or literary flavor compared to जंगल (jangal) -- think of it the way 'woodland' sits next to 'woods' in English. You will see it constantly in compound nouns like वन्य जीव (vany jiiv, 'wildlife') or वन क्षेत्र (van kshetr, 'forest area'), and it echoes through Indian epics too, where sages and exiled princes retreat to the वन (van) for years.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for वन (van) in everyday speech, but native speakers almost always say जंगल (jangal) when just chatting; वन (van) shows up more in news, textbooks, signage (वन विभाग van vibhaag, 'forest department'), and set compounds.
Sample Sentences:
यह पूरा क्षेत्र घने वन से घिरा है। This entire area is surrounded by dense forest.
(yah pooraa kshetr ghane van se ghiraa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सरकार ने इस वन क्षेत्र को संरक्षित घोषित किया है। The government has declared this forest area protected.
(sarkaar ne is van kshetr ko sanrakshit ghoshit kiyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
राजा ने राज्य त्यागकर वन में तपस्या करने का निश्चय किया। The king decided to renounce his kingdom and perform penance in the forest.
(raajaa ne raajy tyaagkar van men tapasyaa karne kaa nishchay kiyaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
राम, सीता और लक्ष्मण चौदह वर्षों के लिए वन को चले गए। Ram, Sita, and Lakshman went to the forest for fourteen years.
(raam, siitaa aur lakshman chaudah varshon ke lie van ko chale gae।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वन विभाग हर साल हज़ारों पेड़ लगाता है। The forest department plants thousands of trees every year.
(van vibhaag har saal hazaaron ped lagaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस वन में तरह-तरह के वन्य जीव पाए जाते हैं। Various kinds of wildlife are found in that forest.
(us van men tarah-tarah ke vany jiiv paae jaate hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
यदि यह वन नष्ट हो जाता तो कई प्रजातियाँ विलुप्त हो जातीं। If this forest were destroyed, many species would go extinct.
(yadi yah van nasht ho jaataa to kaii prajaatiyaan vilupt ho jaatiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
वनों की रक्षा करना हम सबका कर्तव्य है। Protecting the forests is a duty of all of us.
(vanon kii rakshaa karnaa ham sabkaa kartavy hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस वन में आगे कोई मार्ग नहीं है, कृपया लौट जाइए। There is no path further into this forest, please turn back.
(is van men aage koii maarg nahiin hai, kripyaa laut jaaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
ऋषि वर्षों तक वन में एकांत साधना करते रहे। The sage continued his solitary practice in the forest for years.
(rishi varshon tak van men ekaant saadhnaa karte rahe।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): वन (van)
(sg.m.oblique): वन (van)
(pl.m.direct): वन (van)
(pl.m.oblique): वनों (vanon)