सवाल (savaal)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning 'question' -- covers both literal questions and the extended sense of a 'problem' or 'issue'.
Sense
1
:
question (something asked)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रश्न (prashn, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: सवाल (savaal) is the everyday word you'll hear constantly in classrooms, interviews, and casual chats -- कोई सवाल? (koii savaal, 'any questions?') is a staple line from Indian teachers. प्रश्न (prashn) is its more formal, written cousin, common in exams and news.
Common Mistakes: 1) The verb usually paired with सवाल (savaal) is पूछना (poochhnaa, 'to ask') -- learners sometimes reach for बोलना (bolnaa) or कहना (kahnaa) by direct translation from English, but you 'ask' a question in Hindi, you don't 'say' it. 2) 'To answer a question' is सवाल का जवाब देना (savaal kaa javaab denaa) -- the question takes का (kaa), not को (ko).
Sample Sentences:
कोई सवाल?
Any questions?
(koii savaal?)
मेरे मन में एक सवाल है।
I have a question in my mind.
(mere man men ek savaal hai।)
उसने बहुत अच्छा सवाल पूछा।
He asked a very good question.
(usne bahut achchhaa savaal poochhaa।)
टीचर रोज़ हमसे सवाल पूछती हैं।
The teacher asks us questions every day.
(tiichar roz hamse savaal poochhtii hain।)
इंटरव्यू में वे मुझसे कई सवाल पूछ रहे थे।
In the interview, they were asking me several questions.
(intravyoo men ve mujhse kaii savaal poochh rahe the।)
क्या तुम्हारा कोई सवाल है?
Do you have any question?
(kyaa tumhaaraa koii savaal hai?)
अपने सवाल लिखकर जमा कर दें।
Please write down your questions and submit them.
(apne savaal likhkar jamaa kar den।)
अगर उसका जवाब मिल जाए तो मेरा सवाल हल हो जाएगा।
If I get its answer, my question will be resolved.
(agar uskaa javaab mil jaae to meraa savaal hal ho jaaegaa।)
काश वह सवाल इतना कठिन न होता।
If only that question hadn't been so difficult.
(kaash vah savaal itnaa kathin n hotaa।)
परीक्षा में सभी सवाल एक जैसे पूछे गए।
In the exam, all the questions were asked in a similar way.
(pariikshaa men sabhii savaal ek jaise poochhe gae।)
बच्चे के मासूम सवाल सुनकर सब मुस्कुरा उठे।
Hearing the child's innocent questions, everyone broke into a smile.
(bachche ke maasoom savaal sunkar sab muskuraa uthe।)
Sense
2
:
issue, problem, matter under consideration
noun, masculine Often appears in the pattern X सवाल है (X savaal hai) meaning 'X is the issue/question at hand,' e.g. talking about what's really at stake in a situation, not a literal question.
Synonyms: मसला (maslaa), मुद्दा (muddaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense behind the common phrase ज़िंदगी और मौत का सवाल (zindgii aur maut kaa savaal, 'a matter of life and death') -- सवाल (savaal) here means 'the crux of the matter,' much like English 'question' in 'it's a question of trust.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes miss the abstract 'issue' sense and only translate सवाल (savaal) as a literal question, missing phrases like पैसों का सवाल है (paison kaa savaal hai, 'it's a matter of money') where no one is actually asking anything.
Sample Sentences:
यह पैसे का नहीं, इज़्ज़त का सवाल है।
This isn't a matter of money, it's a matter of honor.
(yah paise kaa nahiin, izzat kaa savaal hai।)
यह ज़िंदगी और मौत का सवाल है।
This is a matter of life and death.
(yah zindgii aur maut kaa savaal hai।)
सवाल यह है कि हम इतना बड़ा कर्ज़ कैसे चुकाएँगे।
The issue is how we will pay off such a huge debt.
(savaal yah hai ki ham itnaa badaa karz kaise chukaaenge।)
अब सवाल सिर्फ़ इतना है कि आगे क्या किया जाए।
Now the only issue is what should be done next.
(ab savaal sirf itnaa hai ki aage kyaa kiyaa jaae।)
अगर भरोसे का सवाल न होता, तो मैं यह काम उसे कभी न सौंपता।
If it weren't a matter of trust, I would never have handed this work to him.
(agar bharose kaa savaal n hotaa, to main yah kaam use kabhii n saumptaa।)
बेटी की शादी का सवाल था, इसलिए उन्होंने कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी।
It was a matter of their daughter's wedding, so they left no stone unturned.
(betii kii shaadii kaa savaal thaa, islie unhonne koii kasar nahiin chhodii।)
यह अस्तित्व का सवाल बन गया है।
This has become a matter of survival.
(yah astitv kaa savaal ban gayaa hai।)
कंपनी के लिए यह अब साख का सवाल बनता जा रहा है।
For the company, this is increasingly becoming a matter of reputation.
(kampnii ke lie yah ab saakh kaa savaal bantaa jaa rahaa hai।)
कृपया समझिए, यह सिर्फ़ नियमों का नहीं, सुरक्षा का सवाल है।
Please understand, this isn't just about rules, it's a matter of safety.
(kripyaa samjhie, yah sirf niymon kaa nahiin, surakshaa kaa savaal hai।)
मंत्री जी ने कहा कि यह पूरे राष्ट्र की गरिमा का सवाल है।
The minister said this is a matter of the entire nation's dignity.
(mantrii jii ne kahaa ki yah poore raashtr kii garimaa kaa savaal hai।)
यह कोई मामूली बात नहीं, पूरे परिवार की इज़्ज़त का सवाल था।
This was no small matter, it was a question of the whole family's honor.
(yah koii maamoolii baat nahiin, poore parivaar kii izzat kaa savaal thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सवाल
(savaal)
(sg.m.oblique):
सवाल
(savaal)
(pl.m.direct):
सवाल
(savaal)
(pl.m.oblique):
सवालों
(savaalon)