दान (daan)
noun
Mainly a noun meaning 'charitable donation, alms-giving' with strong religious/cultural roots; it also appears as a combining element in compound words like रक्तदान (raktdaan, blood donation).
Sense
1
:
charitable donation, giving to the needy or to religious causes
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दक्षिणा (dakshinaa, specifically a donation given to a priest), चढ़ावा (chadhaavaa, offering made at a temple/shrine), खैरात (khairaat, almsgiving, informal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: दान (daan) carries deep roots in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain ethics as one of the cardinal virtues -- giving to temples, sadhus, or the poor is seen as spiritually meritorious, not just generous. You'll hear it constantly around festivals: दान-पुण्य (daan-puny, 'charity and merit') is a common paired phrase describing this whole ethic of giving.
Common Mistakes: 1) दान (daan) is used with देना (denaa) as in दान देना (daan denaa, 'to give in charity'), not with करना (karnaa) -- learners sometimes reach for करना (karnaa) by analogy with other noun+verb pairs. 2) दान (daan) implies a selfless, often religiously-motivated gift; it is not the word for a casual 'gift' (that is तोहफ़ा tohfaa or उपहार upahaar).
Sample Sentences:
हर साल वे मंदिर में दान देते हैं।
Every year they give a donation at the temple.
(har saal ve mandir men daan dete hain।)
उसने गरीबों को अपनी पूरी कमाई दान कर दी।
He donated his entire earnings to the poor.
(usne gariibon ko apnii poorii kamaaii daan kar dii।)
कृपया इस अनाथालय के लिए कुछ दान दें।
Please give some donation for this orphanage.
(kripyaa is anaathaalay ke lie kuchh daan den।)
दान-पुण्य करने से मन को शांति मिलती है।
One gets peace of mind by doing charity and good deeds.
(daan-puny karne se man ko shaanti miltii hai।)
अगर मेरे पास इतना पैसा होता, तो मैं भी बड़ा दान करता।
If I had that much money, I would also make a large donation.
(agar mere paas itnaa paisaa hotaa, to main bhii badaa daan kartaa।)
इस अस्पताल का निर्माण एक व्यापारी के दान से हुआ था।
This hospital's construction happened through a merchant's donation.
(is asptaal kaa nirmaan ek vyaapaarii ke daan se huaa thaa।)
दिवाली पर लोग दान देना बहुत शुभ मानते हैं।
On Diwali, people consider giving donations to be very auspicious.
(divaalii par log daan denaa bahut shubh maante hain।)
शायद वह इस बार साधुओं को अन्न दान करे।
Perhaps he will donate grain to the sadhus this time.
(shaayad vah is baar saadhuon ko ann daan kare।)
पंडित जी ने कहा कि गुप्त दान का फल सबसे ज़्यादा होता है।
The priest said that secret charity bears the greatest fruit.
(pandit jii ne kahaa ki gupt daan kaa phal sabse zyaadaa hotaa hai।)
बाढ़ पीड़ितों के लिए देश भर से दान इकट्ठा किया जा रहा है।
Donations are being collected from across the country for the flood victims.
(baadh piiditon ke lie desh bhar se daan ikatthaa kiyaa jaa rahaa hai।)
क्या तुम इस मुहिम के लिए कुछ दान करना चाहोगे?
Would you like to make a donation for this campaign?
(kyaa tum is muhim ke lie kuchh daan karnaa chaahoge?)
Sense
2
:
donation of a body part, organ, or substance (as a compounding element)
noun, masculine Occurs almost exclusively as the second half of a compound noun: रक्तदान (raktdaan, blood donation), नेत्रदान (netrdaan, eye donation), अंगदान (angdaan, organ donation), देहदान (dehdaan, body donation).
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This modern extension of दान (daan) shows how the old religious idea of meritorious giving was extended smoothly to civic causes like blood banks and organ donation camps -- you'll see रक्तदान शिविर (raktdaan shivir, 'blood donation camp') banners outside colleges and hospitals across Delhi-NCR.
Sample Sentences:
आज कॉलेज में रक्तदान शिविर लगा है।
There's a blood donation camp at the college today.
(aaj kolej men raktdaan shivir lagaa hai।)
मैंने पिछले महीने रक्तदान किया था।
I donated blood last month.
(mainne pichhle mahiine raktdaan kiyaa thaa।)
उसने मरने से पहले नेत्रदान का फ़ॉर्म भर दिया था।
He had filled out an eye donation form before he died.
(usne marne se pahle netrdaan kaa form bhar diyaa thaa।)
अंगदान से किसी और की ज़िंदगी बच सकती है।
Organ donation can save someone else's life.
(angdaan se kisii aur kii zindgii bach saktii hai।)
कृपया रक्तदान करें और किसी की जान बचाएँ।
Please donate blood and save someone's life.
(kripyaa raktdaan karen aur kisii kii jaan bachaaen।)
अस्पताल में हर हफ़्ते देहदान के लिए लोग आते हैं।
People come every week for body donation at the hospital.
(asptaal men har hafte dehdaan ke lie log aate hain।)
अगर वह अंगदान करता तो शायद किसी बच्चे को नई ज़िंदगी मिलती।
If he had donated his organs, perhaps some child would have gotten a new life.
(agar vah angdaan kartaa to shaayad kisii bachche ko naii zindgii miltii।)
डॉक्टर ने सुझाव दिया कि परिवार वाले नेत्रदान पर विचार करें।
The doctor suggested that the family consider eye donation.
(doktar ne sujhaav diyaa ki parivaar vaale netrdaan par vichaar karen।)
इस अभियान के तहत हज़ारों यूनिट रक्त दान किया गया।
Thousands of units of blood were donated under this campaign.
(is abhiyaan ke tahat hazaaron yoonit rakt daan kiyaa gayaa।)
अगली बार जब कैंप लगेगा, मैं ज़रूर रक्तदान करूँगा।
Next time a camp is set up, I will definitely donate blood.
(aglii baar jab kaimp lagegaa, main zaroor raktdaan karoongaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
दान
(daan)
(sg.m.oblique):
दान
(daan)
(pl.m.direct):
दान
(daan)
(pl.m.oblique):
दानों
(daanon)