सिरदर्द (sirdard)

noun A compound noun literally meaning 'head-pain' (सिर sir, 'head' + दर्द dard, 'pain'); used both literally for a headache and figuratively for any nagging trouble or annoyance.
Sense 1 : headache (physical)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सिर में दर्द (sir men dard, phrase variant)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the phrase you will hear over the counter at any Delhi chemist's shop -- मुझे सिरदर्द है, कोई दवा दे दीजिए (mujhe sirdard hai, koii davaa de diijie, 'I have a headache, please give me some medicine'). Like most bodily sensations in Hindi, the headache happens *to* you rather than you having it actively, which is why it pairs naturally with दाता-verbs like होना (honaa) rather than an active verb.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say सिर दर्द है (sir dard hai) as two separate words when they mean the ache itself; as a single compound noun सिरदर्द (sirdard) is treated as one thing that 'is' to you, e.g. मुझे सिरदर्द है (mujhe sirdard hai, 'I have a headache') -- the sufferer takes को (ko), not ने (ne).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे सिरदर्द है, कोई दवा दे दीजिए। I have a headache, please give me some medicine.
(mujhe sirdard hai, koii davaa de diijie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आजकल मुझे रोज़ सुबह सिरदर्द होता है। These days I get a headache every morning.
(aajkal mujhe roz subah sirdard hotaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल रात मुझे बहुत तेज़ सिरदर्द हुआ था। Last night I had a very bad headache.
(kal raat mujhe bahut tez sirdard huaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम धूप में ज़्यादा देर रहोगे तो तुम्हें सिरदर्द हो जाएगा। If you stay out in the sun too long, you'll get a headache.
(agar tum dhoop men zyaadaa der rahoge to tumhen sirdard ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसे सिरदर्द हो रहा है, इसलिए वह आज दफ़्तर नहीं आई। She has a headache, so she didn't come to the office today.
(use sirdard ho rahaa hai, islie vah aaj daftar nahiin aaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर साहब, मुझे कल से सिरदर्द हो रहा है। Doctor, I've been having a headache since yesterday.
(doktar saahab, mujhe kal se sirdard ho rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे इतना सिरदर्द न होता, तो मैं पार्टी में जाता। If only I didn't have such a bad headache, I would have gone to the party.
(kaash mujhe itnaa sirdard n hotaa, to main paartii men jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद उसे नींद पूरी न होने की वजह से सिरदर्द हो। Maybe she has a headache because she didn't get enough sleep.
(shaayad use niind poorii n hone kii vajah se sirdard ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
तेज़ धूप और शोर से उसका सिरदर्द बढ़ गया। The harsh sun and noise made his headache worse.
(tez dhoop aur shor se uskaa sirdard badh gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह दवा सिरदर्द के लिए बहुत असरदार मानी जाती है। This medicine is considered very effective for headaches.
(yah davaa sirdard ke lie bahut asardaar maanii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सिरदर्द होने पर आराम करना और पानी पीना ज़रूरी है। When you have a headache, it's important to rest and drink water.
(sirdard hone par aaraam karnaa aur paanii piinaa zaroorii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : figurative headache, nagging trouble or annoyance
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मुसीबत (musiibat), झंझट (jhanjhat, colloquial), परेशानी (pareshaanii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Just like in English, Hindi speakers extend the physical ache to anything tiresome -- a nosy relative, a broken appliance, an office task can all be called सिरदर्द (sirdard). You'll hear parents jokingly call a mischievous child तू तो मेरे लिए सिरदर्द है (too to mere lie sirdard hai, 'you are such a headache for me'), with affection rather than real complaint.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this figurative sense सिरदर्द (sirdard) is often used with बनना (bannaa) or हो जाना (ho jaanaa) rather than सिर्फ़ होना (honaa) alone -- यह प्रोजेक्ट सिरदर्द बन गया है (yah projekt sirdard ban gayaa hai, 'this project has become a headache') sounds more natural than a bare 'is' construction when describing an ongoing hassle.
Sample Sentences:
यह प्रोजेक्ट तो शुरू से ही सिरदर्द बना हुआ है। This project has been a headache right from the start.
(yah projekt to shuroo se hii sirdard banaa huaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
तू तो मेरे लिए सिरदर्द है, हर वक़्त कुछ न कुछ तोड़ देता है। You are such a headache for me, you break something or the other all the time.
(too to mere lie sirdard hai, har vaqt kuchh n kuchh tod detaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पड़ोसी का शोर हमारे लिए रोज़ का सिरदर्द बन गया है। The neighbor's noise has become a daily headache for us.
(padosii kaa shor hamaare lie roz kaa sirdard ban gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश यह कागज़ी काम इतना बड़ा सिरदर्द न होता। I wish this paperwork wasn't such a big headache.
(kaash yah kaagzii kaam itnaa badaa sirdard n hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर समय पर बिल जमा कर दिया होता, तो यह सिरदर्द नहीं झेलना पड़ता। If the bill had been paid on time, we wouldn't have had to deal with this hassle.
(agar samay par bil jamaa kar diyaa hotaa, to yah sirdard nahiin jhelnaa padtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
मैनेजर ने कहा कि यह मामला उनके लिए बहुत सिरदर्द बन गया था। The manager said this matter had become a huge headache for him.
(mainejar ne kahaa ki yah maamlaa unke lie bahut sirdard ban gayaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह सिरदर्द अब खत्म हुआ, गाड़ी आखिरकार ठीक हो गई। This hassle is finally over, the car got fixed at last.
(yah sirdard ab khatm huaa, gaadii aakhirkaar thiik ho gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस सिरदर्द से छुटकारा पाने के लिए हमें कोई और तरीका अपनाना होगा। We'll have to adopt some other approach to get rid of this hassle.
(is sirdard se chhutkaaraa paane ke lie hamen koii aur tariikaa apnaanaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इस पूरे मुद्दे को इतना सिरदर्द मत बनाओ, हल तो निकल ही आएगा। Don't turn this whole issue into such a big headache, a solution will come out anyway.
(is poore mudde ko itnaa sirdard mat banaao, hal to nikal hii aaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
आपकी शिकायत को हल्के में नहीं लिया जाएगा, यह सिरदर्द जल्द ही सुलझा दिया जाएगा। Your complaint will not be taken lightly, this nuisance will soon be resolved.
(aapkii shikaayat ko halke men nahiin liyaa jaaegaa, yah sirdard jald hii suljhaa diyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
ऑफिस की राजनीति किसी के लिए भी सिरदर्द बन सकती है। Office politics can become a headache for anyone.
(ophis kii raajniiti kisii ke lie bhii sirdard ban saktii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): सिरदर्द (sirdard)
(sg.m.oblique): सिरदर्द (sirdard)
(pl.m.direct): सिरदर्द (sirdard)
(pl.m.oblique): सिरदर्दों (sirdardon)