जवानी (javaanii)
noun
A feminine noun meaning 'youth' or 'the prime of life' -- the vigorous, physically strong phase of adulthood, distinct from बचपन (bachpan, childhood) and बुढ़ापा (budhaapaa, old age).
Sense
1
:
youth (the life-stage of young adulthood)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: यौवन (yauvan, literary), जवानी का दौर (javaanii kaa daur, the phase of youth)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: जवानी (javaanii) carries a strong charge of physical vigor and passion in everyday speech -- elders often warn the young with phrases like जवानी का जोश (javaanii kaa josh, 'the heat/impulsiveness of youth'), implying energy that can outrun good sense. It is closely tied to जवान (javaan, 'young person, soldier'), from which it derives.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बचपन (bachpan) when they mean the young-adult years -- बचपन (bachpan) is specifically childhood, while जवानी (javaanii) covers the teens through the thirties, the peak of physical strength and vitality. 2) जवानी (javaanii) is not really used for 'youthfulness' as an abstract quality of appearance in the way English uses 'youth' -- for that sense, speakers often lean on जवां (javaan) or ताज़गी (taazgii) instead.
Sample Sentences:
जवानी में इंसान को अपनी सेहत का ध्यान नहीं रहता।
In youth, a person does not pay attention to their health.
(javaanii men insaan ko apnii sehat kaa dhyaan nahiin rahtaa।)
यह जवानी का जोश है, थोड़ा धीरज रखो।
This is the heat of youth, keep a little patience.
(yah javaanii kaa josh hai, thodaa dhiiraj rakho।)
उसने अपनी सारी जवानी फौज में बिता दी।
He spent his entire youth in the army.
(usne apnii saarii javaanii phauj men bitaa dii।)
काश मुझे अपनी जवानी वापस मिल जाती।
If only I could get my youth back.
(kaash mujhe apnii javaanii vaapas mil jaatii।)
अगर तुम अपनी जवानी में मेहनत करते तो आज पछताना न पड़ता।
If you had worked hard in your youth, you wouldn't have to regret it today.
(agar tum apnii javaanii men mehnat karte to aaj pachhtaanaa n padtaa।)
दादी कहती हैं कि जवानी में वे बहुत खूबसूरत थीं।
Grandmother says that in her youth she was very beautiful.
(daadii kahtii hain ki javaanii men ve bahut khoobsoorat thiin।)
जवानी में की गई गलतियों की सज़ा बुढ़ापे में मिलती है।
The punishment for mistakes made in youth is received in old age.
(javaanii men kii gaii galtiyon kii sazaa budhaape men miltii hai।)
बेटा, जवानी में जोश के साथ थोड़ा होश भी रखा करो।
Son, along with the passion of youth, keep a little sense too.
(betaa, javaanii men josh ke saath thodaa hosh bhii rakhaa karo।)
क्या जवानी हमेशा इंसान को इतना लापरवाह बना देती है?
Does youth always make a person this careless?
(kyaa javaanii hameshaa insaan ko itnaa laaparvaah banaa detii hai?)
जवानी ढलते ही उसे ज़िंदगी की असली अहमियत समझ आई।
As soon as his youth faded, he understood the real value of life.
(javaanii dhalte hii use zindgii kii aslii ahmiyat samajh aaii।)
जवानी एक बार आती है, इसे यूँ बर्बाद मत करो।
Youth comes once, don't waste it like this.
(javaanii ek baar aatii hai, ise yoon barbaad mat karo।)
Sense
2
:
prime, peak vigor (figurative extension)
noun, feminine Used figuratively for the peak/prime of something beyond human life, e.g. a season or a movement, though this extension is less common than the literal sense.
Synonyms: उमंग (umang, enthusiasm, partial overlap), जोश (josh, zeal/energy, partial overlap)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You'll sometimes hear जवानी (javaanii) used poetically for the 'prime' of a river in spate or a storm at its height -- an extension of the human sense of vitality onto nature, common in Hindi film lyrics and shayari.
Sample Sentences:
बरसात में यह नदी अपनी जवानी पर होती है।
In the monsoon, this river is at its prime.
(barsaat men yah nadii apnii javaanii par hotii hai।)
तूफ़ान अपनी जवानी पर था जब जहाज़ डूबा।
The storm was at its peak when the ship sank.
(toofaan apnii javaanii par thaa jab jahaaz doobaa।)
शायर ने नदी की जवानी का ऐसा वर्णन किया कि आँखों के सामने बाढ़ आ गई।
The poet described the river's prime so vividly that the flood seemed to appear before one's eyes.
(shaayar ne nadii kii javaanii kaa aisaa varnan kiyaa ki aankhon ke saamne baadh aa gaii।)
गीत में कहा गया कि तूफ़ान की जवानी में ही उसकी असली ताक़त दिखती है।
The song says that a storm's true power shows only in its prime.
(giit men kahaa gayaa ki toofaan kii javaanii men hii uskii aslii taaqat dikhtii hai।)
यदि यह नदी अपनी जवानी पर होती, तो पुल बहुत पहले टूट जाता।
If this river were at its prime, the bridge would have broken long ago.
(yadi yah nadii apnii javaanii par hotii, to pul bahut pahle toot jaataa।)
काश यह तूफ़ान अपनी जवानी पर न पहुँचे।
If only this storm did not reach its peak.
(kaash yah toofaan apnii javaanii par n pahunche।)
शायरी में अक्सर दरिया की जवानी को इंसानी जोश से जोड़ा जाता है।
In poetry, a river's prime is often linked to human passion.
(shaayrii men aksar dariyaa kii javaanii ko insaanii josh se jodaa jaataa hai।)
जब मानसून अपनी जवानी पर होगा, तो यह घाटी पूरी तरह डूब जाएगी।
When the monsoon reaches its prime, this valley will be completely submerged.
(jab maansoon apnii javaanii par hogaa, to yah ghaatii poorii tarah doob jaaegii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
जवानी
(javaanii)
(sg.f.oblique):
जवानी
(javaanii)
(pl.f.direct):
जवानियाँ
(javaaniyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
जवानियों
(javaaniyon)