तन (tan)

noun A literary/formal word for the physical body, mostly encountered paired with मन (man, mind/heart) as तन-मन (tan man); everyday speech prefers शरीर (shariir) or बदन (badan).
Sense 1 : the physical body
noun, masculine
Synonyms: शरीर (shariir), बदन (badan), देह (deh, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet तन (tan) constantly in bhajans, poetry, and proverbs -- it carries a devotional, almost spiritual weight that शरीर (shariir) lacks. The pairing तन और मन (tan aur man, 'body and mind') is a very common way Hindi speaks of a person's whole being, echoing how yoga and Ayurveda talk about unifying body and mind.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners overuse तन (tan) in casual speech where शरीर (shariir) or बदन (badan) sound far more natural; तन (tan) leans poetic/devotional and can sound overly formal in ordinary conversation. 2) It rarely appears alone in everyday talk -- it is far more common bound to मन (man) in the set phrase तन-मन (tan man, 'body and soul') than as a standalone noun for 'body' in daily use.
Sample Sentences:
तन और मन दोनों स्वस्थ रहने चाहिए। Both body and mind should stay healthy.
(tan aur man donon svasth rahne chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसका तन थक चुका था, पर मन अब भी जाग रहा था। His body was exhausted, but his mind was still awake.
(uskaa tan thak chukaa thaa, par man ab bhii jaag rahaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हे प्रभु, मेरा तन और मन तुझे समर्पित है। O Lord, my body and mind are surrendered to you.
(he prabhu, meraa tan aur man tujhe samarpit hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
साधना से तन शुद्ध होता है। Through spiritual practice, the body becomes purified.
(saadhnaa se tan shuddh hotaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तन स्वस्थ होता, तो मन भी शांत रहता। If the body were healthy, the mind would also stay calm.
(agar tan svasth hotaa, to man bhii shaant rahtaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
तपस्या में योगी अपने तन की परवाह नहीं करते। In penance, yogis do not care about their bodies.
(tapasyaa men yogii apne tan kii parvaah nahiin karte।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस भजन में तन को मिट्टी का पुतला कहा गया है। In this hymn, the body is called a doll of clay.
(is bhajan men tan ko mittii kaa putlaa kahaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अपना तन ढँक लो, ठंड बहुत है। Cover your body, it is very cold.
(apnaa tan dhank lo, thand bahut hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश मेरा तन इतना कमज़ोर न होता। I wish my body were not so weak.
(kaash meraa tan itnaa kamzor n hotaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तन (tan)
(sg.m.oblique): तन (tan)
(pl.m.direct): तन (tan)
(pl.m.oblique): तनों (tanon)