इम्तहान (imtahaan)

noun A common everyday word for a test or examination, borrowed from Persian/Urdu and used constantly in school, college, and life contexts. One core sense, with an extended figurative use for a 'trial' or 'test' of character.
Sense 1 : academic or formal test/examination
noun, masculine
Synonyms: परीक्षा (pariikshaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word is everywhere in Indian school and college life -- report cards, worried parents, board exams (बोर्ड का इम्तहान (bord kaa imtahaan)) -- and carries the same emotional weight as 'exam season' does in English. You'll hear it constantly in Bollywood dialogues and songs about student life and ambition.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to परीक्षा (pariikshaa) from textbooks, but इम्तहान (imtahaan) is at least as common, if not more so, in everyday spoken Hindi about school and college tests. 2) The verb used with it is usually देना (denaa) for 'to take/give an exam' (from the student's side, e.g. इम्तहान देना (imtahaan denaa, 'to sit an exam')) -- learners sometimes reach for लेना (lenaa) here, which instead means the examiner is 'taking' (conducting) the exam.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा इम्तहान कल से शुरू हो रहा है। My exam is starting from tomorrow.
(meraa imtahaan kal se shuroo ho rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल उसने बोर्ड का इम्तहान बहुत अच्छे अंकों से पास किया था। Last year he passed the board exam with very good marks.
(pichhle saal usne bord kaa imtahaan bahut achchhe ankon se paas kiyaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इम्तहान से पहले अच्छी तरह पढ़ लो, वरना पछताओगे। Study well before the exam, or else you'll regret it.
(imtahaan se pahle achchhii tarah padh lo, varnaa pachhtaaoge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मैं पहले से तैयारी करता तो इम्तहान में इतने कम नंबर नहीं आते। If I had prepared in advance, I wouldn't have gotten such low marks in the exam.
(agar main pahle se taiyaarii kartaa to imtahaan men itne kam nambar nahiin aate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर साल मार्च में इम्तहान होते हैं और पूरा घर तनाव में रहता है। Every year exams happen in March and the whole house is stressed.
(har saal maarch men imtahaan hote hain aur pooraa ghar tanaav men rahtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारा इम्तहान अगले हफ्ते होगा? Will your exam be next week?
(kyaa tumhaaraa imtahaan agle haphte hogaa?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इम्तहान का रिजल्ट आने वाला है, सब बच्चे घबराए हुए हैं। The exam result is about to come out, all the children are nervous.
(imtahaan kaa rijalt aane vaalaa hai, sab bachche ghabraae hue hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मेरा इम्तहान अगले महीने होता, अभी बिल्कुल तैयारी नहीं है। I wish my exam were next month, I'm not at all prepared right now.
(kaash meraa imtahaan agle mahiine hotaa, abhii bilkul taiyaarii nahiin hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस साल इम्तहान की तारीखें स्कूल की वेबसाइट पर घोषित की गईं। This year the exam dates were announced on the school's website.
(is saal imtahaan kii taariikhen skool kii vebsaait par ghoshit kii gaiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
बेटा, इम्तहान की चिंता मत करो, बस मेहनत करते रहो। Son, don't worry about the exam, just keep working hard.
(betaa, imtahaan kii chintaa mat karo, bas mehnat karte raho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद इम्तहान की तारीख आगे बढ़ा दी जाए। Perhaps the exam date might be pushed forward.
(shaayad imtahaan kii taariikh aage badhaa dii jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : a trial or test of character/patience/ability
noun, masculine
Synonyms: परीक्षा (pariikshaa, also used figuratively), आज़माइश (aazmaaish)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Used the way English speakers say 'this was a real test of my patience' -- जिंदगी का इम्तहान (jindgii kaa imtahaan, 'a test of/from life') is a very common phrase in songs and heartfelt speech, framing hardship as something you are examined by, not something you simply endure.
Sample Sentences:
यह वक्त हमारे सब्र का इम्तहान ले रहा है। This time is testing our patience.
(yah vakt hamaare sabr kaa imtahaan le rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जिंदगी का इम्तहान कभी खत्म नहीं होता। The test of life never ends.
(jindgii kaa imtahaan kabhii khatm nahiin hotaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस हादसे ने उसकी हिम्मत का इम्तहान लिया। That accident tested her courage.
(us haadse ne uskii himmat kaa imtahaan liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह रिश्ता हर दिन एक नया इम्तहान लेकर आता है। This relationship brings a new ordeal every day.
(yah rishtaa har din ek nayaa imtahaan lekar aataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश यह इम्तहान इतना कठिन न होता। I wish this trial were not so hard.
(kaash yah imtahaan itnaa kathin n hotaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर वह यह इम्तहान झेल जाता, तो और मजबूत बन जाता। If he had endured this ordeal, he would have become stronger.
(agar vah yah imtahaan jhel jaataa, to aur majboot ban jaataa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
भगवान हर किसी का इम्तहान अलग तरीके से लेता है। God tests each person in a different way.
(bhagvaan har kisii kaa imtahaan alag tariike se letaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह मुश्किल वक्त हमारे रिश्ते का सबसे बड़ा इम्तहान साबित हुआ। This difficult time proved to be the biggest test of our relationship.
(yah mushkil vakt hamaare rishte kaa sabse badaa imtahaan saabit huaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जो लोग इस इम्तहान में हार नहीं मानते, वही आगे बढ़ते हैं। Those who do not give up in this ordeal are the ones who move forward.
(jo log is imtahaan men haar nahiin maante, vahii aage badhte hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेटे की बीमारी ने माँ-बाप का सब्र का इम्तहान ले लिया। The son's illness put the parents' patience through a real test.
(bete kii biimaarii ne maan-baap kaa sabr kaa imtahaan le liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): इम्तहान (imtahaan)
(sg.m.oblique): इम्तहान (imtahaan)
(pl.m.direct): इम्तहान (imtahaan)
(pl.m.oblique): इम्तहानों (imtahaanon)