भूत (bhoot)
noun/adjective
Mainly known as the everyday word for 'ghost' or 'spirit,' but it also carries an older sense of 'past' (as in grammar or philosophy) and shows up in a few common idioms about being obsessed or possessed.
Sense
1
:
ghost, spirit
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रेत (pret), रूह (rooh), साया (saayaa, shadow-presence sense), चुड़ैल (chudail, female ghost specifically)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ghost stories are a staple of Indian childhoods -- grandmothers warning kids not to go near the peepal tree (piipal) after dark because भूत (bhoot) supposedly live there. The word is also used affectionately to scold or tease: बच्चों को भूत का डर दिखाना (bachchon ko bhoot kaa dar dikhaanaa, 'scaring kids with talk of ghosts') is a classic disciplining tactic in many households.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat भूत (bhoot) as gender-neutral for all spirits, but चुड़ैल (chudail) is the specific word for a female ghost/witch -- भूत (bhoot) alone defaults to a generic or male-coded spirit. 2) The common phrase भूत लगना (bhoot lagnaa, 'to be possessed/haunted by a ghost') uses लगना (lagnaa) with a को-marked person -- मुझे भूत लगा है (mujhe bhoot lagaa hai, 'a ghost has possessed me') -- not a verb like 'to have.'
Sample Sentences:
मेरी दादी कहती हैं कि रात में पीपल के पेड़ के पास भूत रहते हैं।
My grandmother says that ghosts live near the peepal tree at night.
(merii daadii kahtii hain ki raat men piipal ke ped ke paas bhoot rahte hain।)
पिछली बार जब हम गाँव गए थे, तो चौकीदार ने कहा कि उसने पुरानी हवेली में भूत देखा है।
Last time we went to the village, the watchman said he has seen a ghost in the old mansion.
(pichhlii baar jab ham gaanv gae the, to chaukiidaar ne kahaa ki usne puraanii havelii men bhoot dekhaa hai।)
माँ बच्चों को भूत का डर दिखाकर जल्दी सुला देती है।
The mother puts the kids to sleep quickly by scaring them with talk of ghosts.
(maan bachchon ko bhoot kaa dar dikhaakar jaldii sulaa detii hai।)
अगर भूत होते, तो मैं आज ही इस टूटी हुई हवेली में जाकर देख लेता।
If ghosts existed, I would go and check out this crumbling mansion today itself.
(agar bhoot hote, to main aaj hii is tootii huii havelii men jaakar dekh letaa।)
अंधेरे कमरे से मत डरो, वहाँ कोई भूत नहीं है।
Don't be afraid of the dark room, there's no ghost there.
(andhere kamre se mat daro, vahaan koii bhoot nahiin hai।)
गाँव वालों का मानना है कि उस कुएँ में एक भूत रहता है जो रात को रोता है।
The villagers believe that a ghost lives in that well and cries at night.
(gaanv vaalon kaa maannaa hai ki us kuen men ek bhoot rahtaa hai jo raat ko rotaa hai।)
फिल्म में जब भूत अचानक शीशे में दिखा, तो पूरा हॉल चिल्ला उठा।
When the ghost suddenly appeared in the mirror in the movie, the whole hall screamed.
(philm men jab bhoot achaanak shiishe men dikhaa, to pooraa hol chillaa uthaa।)
हो सकता है कि यह सिर्फ हवा की आवाज़ हो, भूत तो नहीं होगा!
It's probably just the sound of the wind, surely it can't be a ghost!
(ho saktaa hai ki yah sirph havaa kii aavaaz ho, bhoot to nahiin hogaa!)
उस पुराने किले के बारे में कहा जाता है कि वहाँ एक अंग्रेज़ अफ़सर का भूत भटकता है।
It is said about that old fort that the ghost of an English officer wanders there.
(us puraane kile ke baare men kahaa jaataa hai ki vahaan ek angrez afsar kaa bhoot bhataktaa hai।)
बचपन में मुझे लगता था कि अलमारी के पीछे कोई भूत छिपा बैठा है।
As a child, I used to feel that some ghost was sitting hidden behind the cupboard.
(bachpan men mujhe lagtaa thaa ki almaarii ke piichhe koii bhoot chhipaa baithaa hai।)
अगर तुम शरारत करते रहे, तो मैं तुम्हें भूत की कहानी सुनाकर डरा दूँगी।
If you keep misbehaving, I will scare you by telling you a ghost story.
(agar tum sharaarat karte rahe, to main tumhen bhoot kii kahaanii sunaakar daraa doongii।)
Sense
2
:
obsessed, possessed (by an idea or habit)
adjective Used in the fixed phrase भूत सवार होना (bhoot savaar honaa, 'for an obsession to take over someone,' literally 'for a ghost to mount someone') -- functions almost like a compound idiom rather than a plain adjective.
Synonyms: पागल (paagal, crazy about, broader sense), दीवाना (diivaanaa, more romantic/passionate connotation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear उस पर पैसे कमाने का भूत सवार है (us par paise kamaane kaa bhoot savaar hai, 'he's obsessed with making money') -- the imagery of a ghost 'riding' someone captures how an obsession feels involuntary, almost like possession, which fits Hindi's broader habit of framing overwhelming states as things that happen to you rather than things you choose.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense only really appears inside the idiom भूत सवार होना (bhoot savaar honaa) or similar fixed phrasing -- भूत (bhoot) is not freely used alone as a standalone adjective meaning 'obsessed' the way पागल (paagal) is.
Sample Sentences:
उस पर पैसे कमाने का भूत सवार है।
He's obsessed with making money.
(us par paise kamaane kaa bhoot savaar hai।)
उसे विदेश जाने का भूत सवार हो गया है।
He's become obsessed with the idea of going abroad.
(use videsh jaane kaa bhoot savaar ho gayaa hai।)
पहले उस पर क्रिकेट खेलने का भूत सवार था।
Earlier he was obsessed with playing cricket.
(pahle us par kriket khelne kaa bhoot savaar thaa।)
अगर उस पर परफेक्शन का भूत सवार होता, तो वह कभी काम खत्म नहीं करता।
If he were obsessed with perfection, he would never finish any work.
(agar us par parphekshan kaa bhoot savaar hotaa, to vah kabhii kaam khatm nahiin kartaa।)
देखना, कहीं तुझ पर भी शोहरत का भूत सवार न हो जाए।
Watch out, don't let yourself get obsessed with fame too.
(dekhnaa, kahiin tujh par bhii shohrat kaa bhoot savaar n ho jaae।)
उसके सिर पर सफाई का भूत चढ़ा हुआ है, हर चीज़ को बार-बार पोंछती रहती है।
She's obsessed with cleanliness, she keeps wiping everything again and again.
(uske sir par saphaaii kaa bhoot chadhaa huaa hai, har chiiz ko baar-baar ponchhtii rahtii hai।)
जब तक उस पर यह भूत सवार रहेगा, वह किसी की सलाह नहीं सुनेगा।
As long as this obsession rides him, he won't listen to anyone's advice.
(jab tak us par yah bhoot savaar rahegaa, vah kisii kii salaah nahiin sunegaa।)
युवाओं पर सोशल मीडिया पर लोकप्रियता पाने का भूत सवार रहता है।
Young people remain obsessed with gaining popularity on social media.
(yuvaaon par soshal miidiyaa par lokapriytaa paane kaa bhoot savaar rahtaa hai।)
उतारो यह भूत जो तुम पर बदला लेने का सवार है, वरना अपनी ज़िंदगी बर्बाद कर लोगे।
Get rid of this obsession with revenge that has possessed you, or you'll ruin your own life.
(utaaro yah bhoot jo tum par badlaa lene kaa savaar hai, varnaa apnii zindgii barbaad kar loge।)
Sense
3
:
the past (grammatical or philosophical)
noun, masculine Common in the grammar term भूतकाल (bhootkaal, 'past tense') and in more formal or philosophical speech about time.
Synonyms: अतीत (atiit)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: If you've studied Hindi verb tenses, you've already met this sense: भूतकाल (bhootkaal) is literally 'ghost-time,' a poetic way of naming the past tense, since what is past has become like a ghost -- present in influence but gone in substance.
Common Mistakes: 1) In everyday conversation about 'the past' (like reminiscing), speakers reach for अतीत (atiit) or पुराना ज़माना (puraanaa zamaanaa) far more often than भूत (bhoot) alone -- this sense of भूत (bhoot) is mostly confined to grammar terminology (भूतकाल, bhootkaal) or formal/philosophical registers.
Sample Sentences:
व्याकरण में भूतकाल का अर्थ है बीता हुआ समय।
In grammar, 'bhutkal' means past tense.
(vyaakran men bhootkaal kaa arth hai biitaa huaa samay।)
यह क्रिया भूतकाल में है, वर्तमान में नहीं।
This verb is in the past tense, not the present.
(yah kriyaa bhootkaal men hai, vartmaan men nahiin।)
दार्शनिक दृष्टि से भूत, वर्तमान और भविष्य एक ही सत्य की तीन अवस्थाएँ हैं।
Philosophically, the past, present, and future are three states of the same reality.
(daarshnik drishti se bhoot, vartmaan aur bhavishy ek hii saty kii tiin avasthaaen hain।)
शिक्षक ने छात्रों को भूतकाल की क्रियाओं के उदाहरण दिए।
The teacher gave the students examples of past-tense verbs.
(shikshak ne chhaatron ko bhootkaal kii kriyaaon ke udaahran die।)
क्या तुम भूतकाल और भविष्यकाल के अंतर को समझते हो?
Do you understand the difference between the past tense and the future tense?
(kyaa tum bhootkaal aur bhavishykaal ke antar ko samajhte ho?)
इस वाक्य को भूतकाल में बदलो।
Change this sentence into the past tense.
(is vaaky ko bhootkaal men badlo।)
भूत को समझे बिना वर्तमान को नहीं समझा जा सकता।
Without understanding the past, one cannot understand the present.
(bhoot ko samjhe binaa vartmaan ko nahiin samjhaa jaa saktaa।)
यदि यह क्रिया भूतकाल में होती, तो वाक्य का अर्थ बदल जाता।
If this verb were in the past tense, the meaning of the sentence would change.
(yadi yah kriyaa bhootkaal men hotii, to vaaky kaa arth badal jaataa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
भूत
(bhoot)
(sg.m.oblique):
भूत
(bhoot)
(pl.m.direct):
भूत
(bhoot)
(pl.m.oblique):
भूतों
(bhooton)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
भूत
(bhoot)