बरस (baras)
noun/verb
बरस (baras) is a noun meaning 'year', used interchangeably with साल (saal) in everyday speech; it also appears as a verb meaning 'to rain' (a poetic/literary variant of बरसना (barasnaa)), which is a separate, much less common sense.
Sense
1
:
year
noun, masculine
Synonyms: साल (saal), वर्ष (varsh, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear बरस (baras) constantly when people talk about age or how long ago something happened, like पाँच बरस पहले (paanch baras pahle, 'five years ago'). It sits right alongside साल (saal) with no real difference in meaning, just a slightly earthier, more traditional flavor, the kind of word a grandmother or a folk song uses.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to साल (saal) for 'year' and forget बरस (baras) is just as common in speech, especially with ages: दस बरस का (das baras kaa, 'ten years old'). 2) बरस (baras) stays unchanged after numerals the same way साल (saal) does; don't add a plural marker.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी दादी अस्सी बरस की हैं।
My grandmother is eighty years old.
(merii daadii assii baras kii hain।)
पाँच बरस पहले हम इस गाँव में रहते थे।
Five years ago we used to live in this village.
(paanch baras pahle ham is gaanv men rahte the।)
अगले बरस मेरी बेटी की शादी होगी।
Next year my daughter's wedding will happen.
(agle baras merii betii kii shaadii hogii।)
काश मैं दस बरस छोटा होता।
I wish I were ten years younger.
(kaash main das baras chhotaa hotaa।)
इतने बरस बीत गए, फिर भी वह याद है।
So many years have passed, yet he is still remembered.
(itne baras biit gae, phir bhii vah yaad hai।)
क्या तुम्हें पता है कि यह मंदिर कितने बरस पुराना है?
Do you know how many years old this temple is?
(kyaa tumhen pataa hai ki yah mandir kitne baras puraanaa hai?)
बरस-दर-बरस उसकी मेहनत रंग लाई।
Year after year, his hard work paid off.
(baras-dar-baras uskii mehnat rang laaii।)
उम्मीद है कि यह बरस सबके लिए अच्छा रहे।
Hopefully this year turns out good for everyone.
(ummiid hai ki yah baras sabke lie achchhaa rahe।)
बरस भर मजदूरी करने के बाद भी घर नहीं बन पाया।
Even after laboring for a whole year, the house still couldn't be built.
(baras bhar majdoorii karne ke baad bhii ghar nahiin ban paayaa।)
बरसों से यहाँ कोई नहीं आया।
No one has come here for years.
(barson se yahaan koii nahiin aayaa।)
जब वह बीस बरस का था, तब उसने घर छोड़ दिया था।
When he was twenty years old, he had left home.
(jab vah biis baras kaa thaa, tab usne ghar chhod diyaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
to rain (poetic)
verb, intransitive This is a poetic/archaic-flavored stem form used mainly in songs, verse, and set phrases; in ordinary conversation बरसना (barasnaa) is used instead.
Synonyms: बरसना (barasnaa)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: You'll meet this mostly in monsoon-themed poetry and old film songs, where बादल बरस (baadal baras, 'clouds rain') sounds more lyrical than the everyday बादल बरसना (baadal barasnaa). It's the same image Hindi loves: rain, tears, and blessings all 'raining down' (barasnaa) rather than simply falling.
Sample Sentences:
बादल बरसते हैं और धरती हरी हो जाती है।
The clouds rain and the earth turns green.
(baadal baraste hain aur dhartii harii ho jaatii hai।)
रात भर बादल बरसते रहे।
The clouds kept raining all night long.
(raat bhar baadal baraste rahe।)
आसमान से जैसे प्रेम बरसा हो।
It was as if love rained down from the sky.
(aasmaan se jaise prem barsaa ho।)
बरस, हे बादल, इस तपती धरती पर बरस!
Rain, O cloud, rain upon this scorching earth!
(baras, he baadal, is taptii dhartii par baras!)
काश वे बादल फिर से बरसते जिन्होंने हमारी प्रेम कहानी देखी थी।
If only those clouds would rain again, the ones that witnessed our love story.
(kaash ve baadal phir se baraste jinhonne hamaarii prem kahaanii dekhii thii।)
उस रात प्रेमी के गीत सुनकर मानो आकाश से करुणा बरसी।
That night, hearing the lover's song, it was as though compassion rained down from the sky.
(us raat premii ke giit sunkar maano aakaash se karunaa barsii।)
सावन में बादल जब बरसते हैं तो मन भी भीग जाता है।
When the clouds rain in the month of Sawan, the heart too gets drenched.
(saavan men baadal jab baraste hain to man bhii bhiig jaataa hai।)
उम्मीद है कि इस बार बादल जल्दी बरसें।
It is hoped that this time the clouds will rain soon.
(ummiid hai ki is baar baadal jaldii barsen।)
गुरु की कृपा जब बरसेगी, तब सब कष्ट मिट जाएँगे।
When the guru's grace rains down, all suffering will vanish.
(guru kii kripaa jab barsegii, tab sab kasht mit jaaenge।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
बरस
(baras)
(sg.m.oblique):
बरस
(baras)
(pl.m.direct):
बरस
(baras)
(pl.m.oblique):
बरसों
(barson)
Verb
infinitive:
बरस
(baras)
infinitive oblique:
बरने
(barne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बरता
(bartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बरते
(barte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बरती
(bartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बरतीं
(bartiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बर रहा
(bar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बर रहे
(bar rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बर रही
(bar rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बर रहीं
(bar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बरा
(baraa)
perfective (pl.m):
बरे
(bare)
perfective (sg.f):
बरी
(barii)
perfective (pl.f):
बरीं
(bariin)
imperative (informal):
बर
(bar)
imperative (neutral):
बरो
(baro)
imperative (formal):
बरिए
(barie)
future (1sg.m):
बरूँगा
(baroongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बरूँगी
(baroongii)
future (1pl.m):
बरेंगे
(barenge)
future (1pl.f):
बरेंगी
(barengii)
future (2sg.m):
बरेगा
(baregaa)
future (2sg.f):
बरेगी
(baregii)
future (2pl.m):
बरोगे
(baroge)
future (2pl.f):
बरोगी
(barogii)
future (3sg.m):
बरेगा
(baregaa)
future (3sg.f):
बरेगी
(baregii)
future (3pl.m):
बरेंगे
(barenge)
future (3pl.f):
बरेंगी
(barengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बरूँ
(baroon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बरें
(baren)
subjunctive (2sg):
बरे
(bare)
subjunctive (2pl):
बरो
(baro)
subjunctive (3sg):
बरे
(bare)
subjunctive (3pl):
बरें
(baren)