तूफ़ान (toofaan)
noun
Primarily a weather-word meaning 'storm,' with a very common figurative extension to any overwhelming uproar, chaos, or intense emotional outburst.
Sense
1
:
storm, cyclone
noun, masculine
Synonyms: आँधी (aandhii, windstorm/dust storm), चक्रवात (chakrvaat, formal/technical term for cyclone)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR, summer often brings a sudden आँधी (aandhii) with dust and wind, while तूफ़ान (toofaan) is the word you hear on the news for named cyclones hitting the coasts. It's a good example of how Hindi weather vocabulary maps onto real seasonal experience rather than being purely abstract.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use तूफ़ान (toofaan) for any rain, but it specifically implies violent wind and destructive force, not just rainfall -- for ordinary rain, बारिश (baarish) is the word. 2) आँधी (aandhii) is the more common word for the dust/windstorms typical of North Indian summers, while तूफ़ान (toofaan) leans toward larger-scale storms and cyclones, especially in news contexts.
Sample Sentences:
कल रात एक भयंकर तूफ़ान आया था।
A terrible storm came last night.
(kal raat ek bhayankar toofaan aayaa thaa।)
मौसम विभाग ने चेतावनी दी है कि तूफ़ान तट से टकरा सकता है।
The weather department has warned that the storm could hit the coast.
(mausam vibhaag ne chetaavnii dii hai ki toofaan tat se takraa saktaa hai।)
हर साल बंगाल की खाड़ी में कई तूफ़ान बनते हैं।
Every year, several storms form in the Bay of Bengal.
(har saal bangaal kii khaadii men kaii toofaan bante hain।)
तूफ़ान आने से पहले मछुआरों को समंदर से लौटने को कहा गया।
The fishermen were told to return from the sea before the storm arrived.
(toofaan aane se pahle machhuaaron ko samandar se lautne ko kahaa gayaa।)
अगर तूफ़ान तेज़ हो जाए तो बिजली भी जा सकती है।
If the storm gets stronger, the power might go out too.
(agar toofaan tez ho jaae to bijlii bhii jaa saktii hai।)
तूफ़ान के दौरान घर से बाहर मत निकलो।
Don't go outside during the storm.
(toofaan ke dauraan ghar se baahar mat niklo।)
उस साल का तूफ़ान इतना भयानक था कि कई गाँव पूरी तरह तबाह हो गए।
That year's storm was so terrible that many villages were completely destroyed.
(us saal kaa toofaan itnaa bhayaanak thaa ki kaii gaanv poorii tarah tabaah ho gae।)
अगर वह तूफ़ान समय पर कमज़ोर न होता, तो और भी नुकसान होता।
If that storm hadn't weakened in time, there would have been even more damage.
(agar vah toofaan samay par kamzor n hotaa, to aur bhii nuksaan hotaa।)
तूफ़ान से टकराकर कई मछली पकड़ने वाली नावें डूब गईं।
Colliding with the storm, several fishing boats sank.
(toofaan se takraakar kaii machhlii pakadne vaalii naaven doob gaiin।)
समुद्र तट के इलाकों में तूफ़ान की वजह से हज़ारों लोगों को सुरक्षित स्थानों पर पहुँचाया जा रहा है।
Due to the storm, thousands of people in the coastal areas are being moved to safe locations.
(samudr tat ke ilaakon men toofaan kii vajah se hazaaron logon ko surakshit sthaanon par pahunchaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
समंदर में उठा वह तूफ़ान तट की ओर बढ़ता चला आ रहा था।
The storm that had risen in the sea was steadily advancing toward the coast.
(samandar men uthaa vah toofaan tat kii or badhtaa chalaa aa rahaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
figurative: uproar, upheaval, intense commotion
noun, masculine Frequently appears as तूफ़ान आना (toofaan aanaa, 'a storm to come/arise') or तूफ़ान मचाना (toofaan machaanaa, 'to create an uproar'), treating emotional or social chaos as a weather event that arrives or is stirred up.
Synonyms: हंगामा (hangaamaa, commotion/ruckus), उथल-पुथल (uthal-puthal, upheaval, turmoil)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in everyday drama: a mother might say ज़रा सी बात पर तूफ़ान मत खड़ा करो (zaraa sii baat par toofaan mat khadaa karo, 'don't kick up a storm over such a small thing'). It's the same instinct as English 'storm in a teacup,' extended to family arguments, office politics, or heartbreak alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) मचाना (machaanaa) pairs specifically with तूफ़ान (toofaan) in this figurative sense ('to kick up a storm'); learners sometimes reach for करना (karnaa) instead, which sounds off here. 2) This figurative sense can describe a person's inner turmoil (दिल में तूफ़ान, dil men toofaan, 'a storm in the heart') as easily as external chaos -- learners often only associate it with external events.
Sample Sentences:
ज़रा सी बात पर तूफ़ान मत खड़ा करो।
Don't kick up a storm over such a small thing.
(zaraa sii baat par toofaan mat khadaa karo।)
उसके इस्तीफ़े ने पूरी कंपनी में तूफ़ान ला दिया।
His resignation caused an uproar throughout the company.
(uske istiife ne poorii kampnii men toofaan laa diyaa।)
उस ख़बर ने सोशल मीडिया पर तूफ़ान मचा दिया है।
That news has stirred up a storm on social media.
(us khabar ne soshal miidiyaa par toofaan machaa diyaa hai।)
मेरे दिल में एक तूफ़ान चल रहा था, पर चेहरे पर कुछ ज़ाहिर नहीं होने दिया।
A storm was raging inside my heart, but I didn't let anything show on my face.
(mere dil men ek toofaan chal rahaa thaa, par chehre par kuchh zaahir nahiin hone diyaa।)
अगर उसे सच पता चल जाता, तो घर में तूफ़ान आ जाता।
If he had found out the truth, an upheaval would have hit the house.
(agar use sach pataa chal jaataa, to ghar men toofaan aa jaataa।)
इस फ़ैसले से बोर्ड की मीटिंग में तूफ़ान मच सकता है।
This decision could stir up an uproar in the board meeting.
(is faisle se bord kii miiting men toofaan mach saktaa hai।)
तलाक़ की ख़बर से रिश्तेदारों में जो तूफ़ान उठा, वह हफ़्तों नहीं थमा।
The storm that arose among the relatives over the divorce news didn't settle for weeks.
(talaaq kii khabar se rishtedaaron men jo toofaan uthaa, vah hafton nahiin thamaa।)
क्या मामूली सी बहस से इतना बड़ा तूफ़ान खड़ा करना ज़रूरी था?
Was it really necessary to create such a huge storm over a trivial argument?
(kyaa maamoolii sii bahas se itnaa badaa toofaan khadaa karnaa zaroorii thaa?)
दफ़्तर में जब सबको उसकी तनख़्वाह का पता चला, तो तूफ़ान खड़ा हो गया।
When everyone at the office found out about his salary, an uproar broke out.
(daftar men jab sabko uskii tanakhvaah kaa pataa chalaa, to toofaan khadaa ho gayaa।)
प्रेम और विरह के तूफ़ान में उसकी ज़िंदगी उलझ कर रह गई।
Her life became entangled in the storm of love and separation.
(prem aur virah ke toofaan men uskii zindgii ulajh kar rah gaii।)
काश यह तूफ़ान थम जाए और घर में फिर से शांति लौट आए।
I wish this storm would settle and peace would return to the house again.
(kaash yah toofaan tham jaae aur ghar men phir se shaanti laut aae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
तूफ़ान
(toofaan)
(sg.m.oblique):
तूफ़ान
(toofaan)
(pl.m.direct):
तूफ़ान
(toofaan)
(pl.m.oblique):
तूफ़ानों
(toofaanon)