कष्ट (kasht)
noun
A formal, somewhat literary word for pain, suffering, or trouble/inconvenience, most often met in the set phrase कष्ट होना (kasht honaa) and the polite request frame कष्ट करना (kasht karnaa).
Sense
1
:
pain, suffering, distress
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दुख (dukh), पीड़ा (piidaa, formal/literary), तकलीफ़ (takliif)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you'd hear in a doctor's office, a formal letter, or a grandparent's speech, rather than casual chat -- for everyday aches and troubles, तकलीफ़ (takliif) is far more common. Its weight makes it common in devotional and moral contexts too, like discussions of life's सुख-दुख (sukh-dukh, 'joys and sorrows') alongside कष्ट.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for दर्द (dard) for physical pain, but कष्ट (kasht) leans toward mental/emotional suffering or hardship, though it can cover physical discomfort too in a more formal register. 2) It commonly appears with होना (honaa) in dative-subject constructions, e.g. मुझे कष्ट है (mujhe kasht hai, 'I am in distress'), not with karnaa for this sense.
Sample Sentences:
बुढ़ापे में उन्हें बहुत कष्ट सहना पड़ा।
In old age, he had to endure a great deal of suffering.
(budhaape men unhen bahut kasht sahnaa padaa।)
यह दवा आपके कष्ट को कम करेगी।
This medicine will reduce your suffering.
(yah davaa aapke kasht ko kam karegii।)
जीवन में सुख-दुख और कष्ट सभी को झेलने पड़ते हैं।
Everyone must endure joys, sorrows, and suffering in life.
(jiivan men sukh-dukh aur kasht sabhii ko jhelne padte hain।)
भगवान करे, तुम्हें कभी ऐसा कष्ट न हो।
God grant that you never experience such suffering.
(bhagvaan kare, tumhen kabhii aisaa kasht n ho।)
अगर उसे समय पर इलाज मिलता, तो उसे इतना कष्ट न होता।
If he had received treatment on time, he would not have suffered so much.
(agar use samay par ilaaj miltaa, to use itnaa kasht n hotaa।)
रोगी का कष्ट देखकर डॉक्टर भी विचलित हो गए।
Seeing the patient's suffering, even the doctor was disturbed.
(rogii kaa kasht dekhkar doktar bhii vichlit ho gae।)
मनुष्य का कष्ट उसकी इच्छाओं से ही उत्पन्न होता है।
Man's suffering arises from his own desires.
(manushy kaa kasht uskii ichchhaaon se hii utpann hotaa hai।)
इतना कष्ट झेलने के बाद भी उसने हार नहीं मानी।
Even after enduring so much suffering, she did not accept defeat.
(itnaa kasht jhelne ke baad bhii usne haar nahiin maanii।)
साधना के मार्ग में कष्ट सहना अनिवार्य माना जाता है।
On the path of spiritual practice, enduring suffering is considered essential.
(saadhnaa ke maarg men kasht sahnaa anivaary maanaa jaataa hai।)
क्या इंसान का कष्ट कभी पूरी तरह मिट सकता है?
Can a person's suffering ever be completely erased?
(kyaa insaan kaa kasht kabhii poorii tarah mit saktaa hai?)
Sense
2
:
trouble, inconvenience, bother (caused to someone)
noun, masculine Frequently used in the polite fixed frame कष्ट करना (kasht karnaa) meaning 'to take the trouble (to do something)', often as a formal request or apology.
Synonyms: परेशानी (pareshaanii), तकलीफ़ (takliif), ज़हमत (zahmat, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this sense in formal invitations and announcements, like आपसे निवेदन है कि कष्ट करके आएं (aapse nivedan hai ki kasht karke aaen, 'you are requested to kindly take the trouble to come') -- the vocabulary of official Hindi, weddings cards, and polite institutional language rather than street conversation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Beginners may not recognize कष्ट करना (kasht karnaa, 'please take the trouble to...') as a set polite request pattern, similar to English 'would you mind...'; it sounds stiffly formal if overused in casual speech. 2) कष्ट के लिए क्षमा करें (kasht ke lie kshamaa karen, 'forgive me for the trouble') is a common formal apology learners should recognize as a fixed phrase rather than build word-by-word.
Sample Sentences:
आपसे निवेदन है कि कष्ट करके समय पर आएं।
You are requested to kindly take the trouble to arrive on time.
(aapse nivedan hai ki kasht karke samay par aaen।)
मुझे आपको इतना कष्ट देने का खेद है।
I am sorry to cause you so much trouble.
(mujhe aapko itnaa kasht dene kaa khed hai।)
कृपया इस पत्र को पढ़ने का कष्ट करें।
Please take the trouble to read this letter.
(kripyaa is patr ko padhne kaa kasht karen।)
हमें आशा है कि यह प्रस्ताव आपको कोई कष्ट नहीं देगा।
We hope this proposal will not cause you any inconvenience.
(hamen aashaa hai ki yah prastaav aapko koii kasht nahiin degaa।)
समारोह में आने के लिए आपको जो कष्ट हुआ, उसके लिए धन्यवाद।
Thank you for the trouble you took to come to the ceremony.
(samaaroh men aane ke lie aapko jo kasht huaa, uske lie dhanyvaad।)
निमंत्रण पत्र में लिखा था कि मेहमानों को कोई कष्ट नहीं दिया जाएगा।
The invitation card said that no inconvenience would be caused to the guests.
(nimantran patr men likhaa thaa ki mehmaanon ko koii kasht nahiin diyaa jaaegaa।)
अगर आपको कष्ट न हो, तो कृपया यह फॉर्म भर दें।
If it is not too much trouble for you, please fill out this form.
(agar aapko kasht n ho, to kripyaa yah phorm bhar den।)
यदि मुझे उन्हें बार-बार फोन न करना पड़ता, तो उन्हें इतना कष्ट न होता।
If I did not have to call them again and again, they would not be inconvenienced so much.
(yadi mujhe unhen baar-baar phon n karnaa padtaa, to unhen itnaa kasht n hotaa।)
उद्घाटन समारोह में सभी अतिथियों को व्यक्तिगत रूप से आमंत्रित करने का कष्ट लिया गया।
The trouble was taken to personally invite all the guests to the inauguration ceremony.
(udghaatan samaaroh men sabhii atithiyon ko vyaktigat roop se aamantrit karne kaa kasht liyaa gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
कष्ट
(kasht)
(sg.m.oblique):
कष्ट
(kasht)
(pl.m.direct):
कष्ट
(kasht)
(pl.m.oblique):
कष्टों
(kashton)