मंज़िल (manzil)

noun Two related senses: a physical 'floor/storey' of a building, and the more evocative 'destination/goal' -- the endpoint of a journey, literal or life-metaphorical.
Sense 1 : destination, goal (of a journey or of one's life/efforts)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: लक्ष्य (lakshy), गंतव्य (gantavy, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word behind countless Hindi film songs and motivational posters -- the idea that life is a सफ़र (safar, journey) and मंज़िल (manzil) is where it's headed. You'll hear it paired often with रास्ता (raastaa) and सफ़र (safar) in the same breath, forming a little cluster of journey-vocabulary that Hindi speakers reach for naturally when talking about ambition or perseverance.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for लक्ष्य (lakshy) when they mean an abstract 'goal,' but मंज़िल (manzil) carries a built-in journey metaphor -- it is the place you are travelling toward, not just an objective you are aiming at. In sentences about life ambitions, native speakers lean on मंज़िल (manzil) precisely because it evokes movement and struggle along a रास्ता (raastaa, path).
Sample Sentences:
मेरी मंज़िल अभी बहुत दूर है। My destination is still very far away.
(merii manzil abhii bahut door hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रास्ता चाहे कठिन हो, मंज़िल तक पहुँचना ही है। No matter how hard the path is, we must reach the destination.
(raastaa chaahe kathin ho, manzil tak pahunchnaa hii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम मन लगाकर पढ़ते तो अपनी मंज़िल तक पहुँच जाते। If you had studied wholeheartedly, you would have reached your goal.
(agar tum man lagaakar padhte to apnii manzil tak pahunch jaate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सफ़र में मुश्किलें आएँगी, पर मंज़िल मिलकर रहेगी। There will be difficulties on the journey, but the destination will surely be reached.
(safar men mushkilen aaengii, par manzil milkar rahegii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अपनी मंज़िल पहचानो और उसी दिशा में बढ़ो। Recognize your destination and move in that direction.
(apnii manzil pahchaano aur usii dishaa men badho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
बहुत साल पहले उसने जो मंज़िल तय की थी, आज उसे वहाँ पहुँचना है। Years ago he decided on a destination, and today he must reach it.
(bahut saal pahle usne jo manzil tay kii thii, aaj use vahaan pahunchnaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या पता, शायद अपनी मंज़िल हमसे ज़्यादा दूर न हो। Who knows, maybe our destination isn't as far from us as we think.
(kyaa pataa, shaayad apnii manzil hamse zyaadaa door n ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंज़िल पाने के लिए रास्ते में कई कुर्बानियाँ दी गईं। Many sacrifices were made along the way in order to reach the destination.
(manzil paane ke lie raaste men kaii kurbaaniyaan dii gaiin।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
यार, बस एक कदम और, मंज़िल सामने ही खड़ी है। Come on, just one more step, the destination is right there in front of us.
(yaar, bas ek kadam aur, manzil saamne hii khadii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हर मुश्किल पार करते हुए अपनी मंज़िल की ओर बढ़ रहा है। He is moving toward his destination, overcoming every difficulty.
(vah har mushkil paar karte hue apnii manzil kii or badh rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंज़िलें उन्हीं को मिलती हैं जिनके सपनों में जान होती है। Destinations come only to those whose dreams have life in them.
(manzilen unhiin ko miltii hain jinke sapnon men jaan hotii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : storey, floor (of a building)
noun, feminine Used with numerals and ordinals to specify which floor, e.g. दूसरी मंज़िल (doosrii manzil, 'second floor').
Synonyms: तल (tal, formal/technical)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi-NCR speech about apartments and shops, you'll hear this constantly: तीसरी मंज़िल पर (tiisrii manzil par, 'on the third floor') when giving directions to someone's flat or office.
Common Mistakes: 1) Counting floors: पहली मंज़िल (pahlii manzil) usually means the first floor above the ground floor (which is often called ग्राउंड फ़्लोर (graaund flor) or भूतल (bhootal)), similar to British-style counting -- learners from the US sometimes mismatch this by one floor.
Sample Sentences:
हमारा फ़्लैट तीसरी मंज़िल पर है। Our flat is on the third floor.
(hamaaraa flait tiisrii manzil par hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह इमारत कुल दस मंज़िलों की है। This building has ten floors in total.
(yah imaarat kul das manzilon kii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया दूसरी मंज़िल पर जाकर रिसेप्शन से मिलिए। Please go to the second floor and meet the reception.
(kripyaa doosrii manzil par jaakar risepshan se milie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पहले हम पाँचवीं मंज़िल पर रहते थे। Earlier we used to live on the fifth floor.
(pahle ham paanchviin manzil par rahte the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर लिफ़्ट काम नहीं कर रही, तो हमें सीढ़ियों से सातवीं मंज़िल तक चढ़ना होगा। If the lift isn't working, we'll have to climb the stairs up to the seventh floor.
(agar lift kaam nahiin kar rahii, to hamen siidhiyon se saatviin manzil tak chadhnaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
नई मंज़िल का काम अगले महीने तक पूरा हो जाएगा। The work on the new floor will be completed by next month.
(naii manzil kaa kaam agle mahiine tak pooraa ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
काश हमारा ऑफ़िस पहली मंज़िल पर होता, तो सीढ़ियाँ नहीं चढ़नी पड़तीं। If only our office were on the ground floor, we wouldn't have to climb stairs.
(kaash hamaaraa ofis pahlii manzil par hotaa, to siidhiyaan nahiin chadhnii padtiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
भूकंप के दौरान इमारत की चौथी मंज़िल में दरार आ गई। During the earthquake, a crack appeared on the fourth floor of the building.
(bhookamp ke dauraan imaarat kii chauthii manzil men daraar aa gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दुकान वाला बोला, जूते ऊपर वाली मंज़िल पर मिलेंगे। The shopkeeper said the shoes would be found on the upper floor.
(dukaan vaalaa bolaa, joote oopar vaalii manzil par milenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
क्या आपको लगता है कि इस बिल्डिंग में एक और मंज़िल जोड़ी जा सकती है? Do you think another floor can be added to this building?
(kyaa aapko lagtaa hai ki is bilding men ek aur manzil jodii jaa saktii hai?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मैं दफ़्तर की छठी मंज़िल पर बैठा हूँ, खिड़की से पूरा बाज़ार दिखता है। I am sitting on the sixth floor of the office, the whole market is visible from the window.
(main daftar kii chhathii manzil par baithaa hoon, khidkii se pooraa baazaar dikhtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): मंज़िल (manzil)
(sg.f.oblique): मंज़िल (manzil)
(pl.f.direct): मंज़िलें (manzilen)
(pl.f.oblique): मंज़िलों (manzilon)