तर्क (tark)

noun A word from the intellectual/argumentative register, covering both 'logic' as a discipline and 'argument/reasoning' as used in everyday debate or discussion.
Sense 1 : argument, reasoning point
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दलील (daliil), युक्ति (yukti, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi drawing-room or dinner-table debates -- politics, cricket, whose masala chai recipe is best -- someone will inevitably say मेरा तर्क यह है कि... (meraa tark yah hai ki, 'my argument is that...'), a very common way to stake out a reasoned position before the table erupts.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बहस (bahas) when they mean the whole quarrel/discussion, but तर्क (tark) is the individual reasoning point or piece of logic offered within that बहस (bahas), not the argument-as-fight itself. 2) The common verb pairing is तर्क देना (tark denaa, 'to give an argument/reason'), not करना (karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
मेरा तर्क यह है कि हमें पहले अपना होमवर्क खत्म करना चाहिए। My argument is that we should finish our homework first.
(meraa tark yah hai ki hamen pahle apnaa homvark khatm karnaa chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपने तर्क में कहा कि टीम को पहले गेंदबाजी में सुधार करना होगा। In his argument, he said the team needs to improve its bowling first.
(usne apne tark men kahaa ki tiim ko pahle gendbaajii men sudhaar karnaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारे तर्क में कोई ठोस आधार भी है? Does your argument even have any solid basis?
(kyaa tumhaare tark men koii thos aadhaar bhii hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पापा हमेशा अपना तर्क देते हैं और फिर बहस जीत जाते हैं। Dad always gives his argument and then wins the debate.
(paapaa hameshaa apnaa tark dete hain aur phir bahas jiit jaate hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम्हारा तर्क सही होता, तो हम सब मान जाते। If your argument were correct, we would all agree.
(agar tumhaaraa tark sahii hotaa, to ham sab maan jaate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अपना तर्क साफ-साफ रखो, घुमा-फिराकर मत बोलो। State your argument clearly, don't beat around the bush.
(apnaa tark saaph-saaph rakho, ghumaa-phiraakar mat bolo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
प्रोफेसर ने उसके तर्क को बहुत कमजोर बताया। The professor called his argument very weak.
(prophesar ne uske tark ko bahut kamjor bataayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह तर्क अदालत में टिकेगा। I don't think this argument will hold up in court.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki yah tark adaalat men tikegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
शायद उसका तर्क कमजोर लगे, लेकिन उसमें कुछ सच्चाई भी है। Perhaps his argument seems weak, but there's some truth in it too.
(shaayad uskaa tark kamjor lage, lekin usmen kuchh sachchaaii bhii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसके तर्क से यह साबित होता है कि योजना में गड़बड़ी थी। His argument proves that there was a flaw in the plan.
(uske tark se yah saabit hotaa hai ki yojnaa men gadabdii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बहस के दौरान दोनों तरफ से इतने तर्क दिए गए कि फैसला करना मुश्किल हो गया। So many arguments were given from both sides during the debate that it became hard to decide.
(bahas ke dauraan donon taraph se itne tark die gae ki phaislaa karnaa mushkil ho gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
चाय की बहस में हर कोई अपना-अपना तर्क लेकर आ जाता है, फिर चाहे बात मसाले की हो या दूध की। In the tea debate, everyone shows up with their own argument, whether it's about the spices or the milk.
(chaay kii bahas men har koii apnaa-apnaa tark lekar aa jaataa hai, phir chaahe baat masaale kii ho yaa doodh kii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : logic (the discipline or faculty of reasoning)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: तर्कशास्त्र (tarkshaastr, the formal discipline)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: तर्क (tark) in this sense is the root behind the adjective तार्किक (taarkik, 'logical'), heard often in academic or editorial Hindi when someone praises a तार्किक तर्क (taarkik tark, 'a logical argument') -- a satisfying bit of wordplay for a learner to notice.
Sample Sentences:
तर्क एक स्वतंत्र विषय के रूप में पढ़ाया जाता है। Logic is taught as an independent subject.
(tark ek svatantr vishay ke roop men padhaayaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
दर्शनशास्त्र में तर्क की एक विशेष शाखा होती है जिसे न्यायशास्त्र कहते हैं। In philosophy, logic has a special branch called the science of reasoning.
(darshanshaastr men tark kii ek vishesh shaakhaa hotii hai jise nyaayshaastr kahte hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने तर्क का गहरा अध्ययन किया है। He has done a deep study of logic.
(usne tark kaa gahraa adhyyan kiyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसका निबंध एक तार्किक तर्क पर आधारित है, बिना किसी भावनात्मक अपील के। His essay is based on logic, without any emotional appeal.
(uskaa nibandh ek taarkik tark par aadhaarit hai, binaa kisii bhaavnaatmak apiil ke।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर तर्क को छोड़ दें, तो बहस बेमानी हो जाती है। If one sets aside logic, the debate becomes meaningless.
(agar tark ko chhod den, to bahas bemaanii ho jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
प्राचीन भारतीय परंपरा में तर्क को न्याय दर्शन के अंतर्गत विकसित किया गया। In ancient Indian tradition, logic was developed under the philosophy of Nyaya.
(praachiin bhaartiiy parampraa men tark ko nyaay darshan ke antargat viksit kiyaa gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
यदि तुम्हारे पास तर्क की समझ होती, तो यह गलती न होती। If you had an understanding of logic, this mistake would not have happened.
(yadi tumhaare paas tark kii samajh hotii, to yah galtii n hotii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शुद्ध तर्क से समस्या को सुलझाओ, भावनाओं से नहीं। Solve the problem with pure logic, not with emotions.
(shuddh tark se samasyaa ko suljhaao, bhaavnaaon se nahiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
गणित और तर्क का गहरा संबंध है। There is a deep connection between mathematics and logic.
(ganit aur tark kaa gahraa sambandh hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या मशीनें भी तर्क का उपयोग करके सोच सकती हैं? Can machines also think using logic?
(kyaa mashiinen bhii tark kaa upyog karke soch saktii hain?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तर्क (tark)
(sg.m.oblique): तर्क (tark)
(pl.m.direct): तर्क (tark)
(pl.m.oblique): तर्कों (tarkon)