उपवास (upvaas)

noun A single core meaning: religious or ritual fasting. Related to the verb phrase उपवास रखना (upvaas rakhnaa), 'to keep a fast.'
Sense 1 : religious/ritual fasting
noun, masculine
Synonyms: व्रत (vrat), फ़ाकाा (faakaa, secular/hunger-driven, not religious)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: उपवास (upvaas) is woven into everyday religious life in North India -- think of someone keeping करवा चौथ (karvaa chauth) or नवरात्रि (navraatri) उपवास (upvaas), often eating only fruits or specific 'fasting foods' like साबूदाना (saaboodaanaa, sago) rather than eating nothing at all. It is less about total abstinence from food and more about a devotional discipline with its own permitted diet.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for भूखा रहना (bhookhaa rahnaa, 'to stay hungry') to mean 'fast,' but उपवास (upvaas) specifically carries a religious/ritual sense that भूखा रहना (bhookhaa rahnaa) lacks -- the latter just describes not having eaten. 2) The common verb pairing is उपवास रखना (upvaas rakhnaa, 'to keep a fast') or उपवास करना (upvaas karnaa), not उपवास होना (upvaas honaa).
Sample Sentences:
मेरी माँ हर सोमवार को उपवास रखती हैं। My mother keeps a fast every Monday.
(merii maan har somvaar ko upvaas rakhtii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस बार करवा चौथ का उपवास बहुत मुश्किल था। This time the Karva Chauth fast was very difficult.
(is baar karvaa chauth kaa upvaas bahut mushkil thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम नवरात्रि में उपवास रखोगी? Will you keep a fast during Navratri?
(kyaa tum navraatri men upvaas rakhogii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उपवास के दौरान वे सिर्फ साबूदाना और फल खाती हैं। During the fast, she eats only sago and fruits.
(upvaas ke dauraan ve sirph saaboodaanaa aur phal khaatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तबीयत ठीक नहीं है तो उपवास मत रखो। If you're not feeling well, don't keep the fast.
(agar tabiiyat thiik nahiin hai to upvaas mat rakho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मैं बीमार न होती तो मैं भी उपवास रखती। If I weren't sick, I would have kept the fast too.
(agar main biimaar n hotii to main bhii upvaas rakhtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पंडित जी ने कहा कि इस व्रत में उपवास तीन दिन तक रखा जाता है। The priest said that in this vow, the fast is kept for three days.
(pandit jii ne kahaa ki is vrat men upvaas tiin din tak rakhaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद वह भगवान को खुश करने के लिए उपवास रख रही हो। Perhaps she is keeping a fast to please God.
(shaayad vah bhagvaan ko khush karne ke lie upvaas rakh rahii ho।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
साधु ने कठोर उपवास द्वारा अपनी आत्मा को शुद्ध किया। The ascetic purified his soul through severe fasting.
(saadhu ne kathor upvaas dvaaraa apnii aatmaa ko shuddh kiyaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह पिछले तीन दिनों से उपवास कर रहा है। He has been fasting for the last three days.
(vah pichhle tiin dinon se upvaas kar rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): उपवास (upvaas)
(sg.m.oblique): उपवास (upvaas)
(pl.m.direct): उपवास (upvaas)
(pl.m.oblique): उपवासों (upvaason)