धारा (dhaaraa)
noun
Mainly a noun meaning 'stream/current/flow' (of water, electricity, or air), extended figuratively to a 'flow' of thought or events, and also used as the legal term for a 'section' or 'clause' of law. Inline Hindi placeholders throughout.
Sense
1
:
stream, current (of water)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: प्रवाह (pravaah), बहाव (bahaav)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of the Ganga's current when someone says नदी की धारा (nadii kii dhaaraa, 'the river's current') -- Hindi speakers use धारा (dhaaraa) for the moving water itself, distinct from the river as a geographic entity.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse धारा (dhaaraa) with नदी (nadii); नदी (nadii) is the river itself, while धारा (dhaaraa) is the current or flow of water within it (or any flowing body).
Sample Sentences:
नदी की धारा बहुत तेज़ थी।
The river's current was very strong.
(nadii kii dhaaraa bahut tez thii।)
गंगा की धारा पहाड़ों से मैदानों की ओर बहती है।
The Ganga's current flows from the mountains toward the plains.
(gangaa kii dhaaraa pahaadon se maidaanon kii or bahtii hai।)
बच्चा धारा में बह गया।
The child got swept away in the current.
(bachchaa dhaaraa men bah gayaa।)
धारा के विरुद्ध तैरना बहुत मुश्किल होता है।
Swimming against the current is very difficult.
(dhaaraa ke viruddh tairnaa bahut mushkil hotaa hai।)
धारा में मत उतरो, बहुत गहरी है।
Don't get into the current, it's very deep.
(dhaaraa men mat utro, bahut gahrii hai।)
अगर बांध न होता, तो धारा गाँव को बहा ले जाती।
If the dam hadn't been there, the current would have swept the village away.
(agar baandh n hotaa, to dhaaraa gaanv ko bahaa le jaatii।)
नाव धारा के साथ बहती जा रही थी।
The boat was drifting along with the current.
(naav dhaaraa ke saath bahtii jaa rahii thii।)
मल्लाह ने कहा कि यहाँ की धारा बहुत खतरनाक मानी जाती है।
The boatman said that the current here is considered very dangerous.
(mallaah ne kahaa ki yahaan kii dhaaraa bahut khatarnaak maanii jaatii hai।)
पर्वतीय नदियों की धाराएँ शांत नदियों से कहीं अधिक वेगवान होती हैं।
The currents of mountain rivers are far swifter than those of calm rivers.
(parvtiiy nadiyon kii dhaaraaen shaant nadiyon se kahiin adhik vegvaan hotii hain।)
काश धारा इतनी तेज़ न होती, हम आराम से पार कर लेते।
If only the current weren't so fast, we could have crossed comfortably.
(kaash dhaaraa itnii tez n hotii, ham aaraam se paar kar lete।)
Sense
2
:
flow, trend (figurative -- of thought, events, time)
noun, feminine Used in phrases like समय की धारा (samay kii dhaaraa, 'the flow of time') or विचारों की धारा (vichaaron kii dhaaraa, 'a stream of thoughts').
Synonyms: प्रवाह (pravaah), रुझान (rujhaan, trend/inclination)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative sense treats abstract things like time or thought as flowing water -- a very natural metaphor in Hindi, so विचारों की धारा (vichaaron kii dhaaraa, 'a stream of thoughts') sounds poetic but not forced.
Sample Sentences:
समय की धारा कभी नहीं रुकती।
The flow of time never stops.
(samay kii dhaaraa kabhii nahiin ruktii।)
उसके मन में विचारों की धारा बह रही थी।
A stream of thoughts was flowing in his mind.
(uske man men vichaaron kii dhaaraa bah rahii thii।)
देश की राजनीति में बदलाव की एक नई धारा शुरू हुई है।
A new trend of change has begun in the country's politics.
(desh kii raajniiti men badlaav kii ek naii dhaaraa shuroo huii hai।)
अगर वह अपने विचारों की धारा को समझ पाता, तो शायद फैसला बदल देता।
If he could have understood the flow of his own thoughts, he might have changed his decision.
(agar vah apne vichaaron kii dhaaraa ko samajh paataa, to shaayad phaislaa badal detaa।)
इस उपन्यास में कथा की धारा बीच में ही टूट जाती है।
In this novel, the flow of the narrative breaks off midway.
(is upanyaas men kathaa kii dhaaraa biich men hii toot jaatii hai।)
बाज़ार की धारा को समझना हर व्यापारी के लिए ज़रूरी है।
Understanding the trend of the market is necessary for every trader.
(baazaar kii dhaaraa ko samajhnaa har vyaapaarii ke lie zaroorii hai।)
समाज की धारा के विरुद्ध चलना आसान नहीं होता।
Going against the tide of society is not easy.
(samaaj kii dhaaraa ke viruddh chalnaa aasaan nahiin hotaa।)
काश मैं भी उस धारा में बह पाता जिसमें सब बहते हैं।
I wish I too could flow with that current that everyone else flows with.
(kaash main bhii us dhaaraa men bah paataa jismen sab bahte hain।)
इतिहास की धारा को एक व्यक्ति नहीं बदल सकता।
One person cannot change the course of history.
(itihaas kii dhaaraa ko ek vyakti nahiin badal saktaa।)
इस भाषण से जनता की सोच की धारा मोड़ दी गई।
The flow of the public's thinking was redirected by this speech.
(is bhaashan se jantaa kii soch kii dhaaraa mod dii gaii।)
Sense
3
:
current (electrical)
noun, feminine Commonly appears as विद्युत धारा (vidyut dhaaraa) in science contexts, but बिजली की धारा (bijlii kii dhaaraa) is the everyday phrasing.
Synonyms: विद्युत धारा (vidyut dhaaraa, technical/full term)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the word every Indian schoolkid meets in physics class for 'electric current' -- बिजली की धारा (bijlii kii dhaaraa, 'electric current') is standard textbook phrasing, paralleling how धारा (dhaaraa) describes water's flow.
Sample Sentences:
इस तार में बिजली की धारा बहती है।
An electric current flows in this wire.
(is taar men bijlii kii dhaaraa bahtii hai।)
शिक्षक ने बच्चों को बिजली की धारा के बारे में समझाया।
The teacher explained electric current to the children.
(shikshak ne bachchon ko bijlii kii dhaaraa ke baare men samjhaayaa।)
अगर स्विच बंद कर दिया जाए, तो धारा रुक जाएगी।
If the switch is turned off, the current will stop.
(agar svich band kar diyaa jaae, to dhaaraa ruk jaaegii।)
इस तार को मत छूना, इसमें तेज़ धारा बह रही है।
Don't touch this wire, a strong current is flowing through it.
(is taar ko mat chhoonaa, ismen tez dhaaraa bah rahii hai।)
अगर धारा और तेज़ होती, तो फ़्यूज़ उड़ जाता।
If the current had been stronger, the fuse would have blown.
(agar dhaaraa aur tez hotii, to fyooz ud jaataa।)
इस उपकरण से धारा की माप की जाती है।
Current is measured with this instrument.
(is upakran se dhaaraa kii maap kii jaatii hai।)
प्रत्यावर्ती धारा और दिष्ट धारा में यही मुख्य अंतर है।
This is the main difference between alternating current and direct current.
(pratyaavartii dhaaraa aur disht dhaaraa men yahii mukhy antar hai।)
काश धारा का प्रवाह कम हो जाए, वरना मशीन खराब हो सकती है।
I wish the current flow would decrease, otherwise the machine might get damaged.
(kaash dhaaraa kaa pravaah kam ho jaae, varnaa mashiin kharaab ho saktii hai।)
Sense
4
:
section, clause (of a law)
noun, feminine Always used with a number, as in धारा 302 (dhaaraa 302, 'Section 302'), referencing a specific clause of a legal code.
Synonyms: अनुच्छेद (anuchchhed, used for constitutional articles rather than penal code sections)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly on the news -- धारा 144 (dhaaraa 144) lagaa dii gayii, 'Section 144 was imposed', is standard reporting language for curfew-like restrictions. Journalists and lawyers use धारा (dhaaraa) the way English speakers use 'Section' before a number.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often meet this sense first through news or crime dramas without realizing it is the same word as 'river current' -- धारा 144 (dhaaraa 144) is a famous example, referring to a section of law restricting public assembly.
Sample Sentences:
शहर में धारा 144 लगा दी गई है।
Section 144 has been imposed in the city.
(shahar men dhaaraa 144 lagaa dii gaii hai।)
पुलिस ने कर्फ्यू जैसे हालात के कारण धारा 144 लगा दी।
The police imposed Section 144 due to curfew-like conditions.
(pulis ne karphyoo jaise haalaat ke kaaran dhaaraa 144 lagaa dii।)
वकील ने कहा कि यह मामला धारा 302 के अंतर्गत आता है।
The lawyer said that this case falls under Section 302.
(vakiil ne kahaa ki yah maamlaa dhaaraa 302 ke antargat aataa hai।)
इस धारा में साफ लिखा है कि सार्वजनिक जगहों पर पाँच से ज़्यादा लोग इकट्ठा नहीं हो सकते।
This section clearly states that more than five people cannot gather in public places.
(is dhaaraa men saaph likhaa hai ki saarvajnik jagahon par paanch se zyaadaa log ikatthaa nahiin ho sakte।)
आरोपी पर धारा 420 के तहत धोखाधड़ी का मामला दर्ज किया गया।
A fraud case was registered against the accused under Section 420.
(aaropii par dhaaraa 420 ke tahat dhokhaadhdii kaa maamlaa darj kiyaa gayaa।)
क्या इस इलाके में अभी भी धारा 144 लागू है?
Is Section 144 still in effect in this area?
(kyaa is ilaake men abhii bhii dhaaraa 144 laagoo hai?)
सरकार को इस कानून की धारा 5 में बदलाव करना चाहिए।
The government should make changes to Section 5 of this law.
(sarkaar ko is kaanoon kii dhaaraa 5 men badlaav karnaa chaahie।)
अगर वह धारा उस समय हटा दी जाती, तो इतना विवाद न होता।
If that section had been removed at that time, there wouldn't have been so much controversy.
(agar vah dhaaraa us samay hataa dii jaatii, to itnaa vivaad n hotaa।)
संविधान की धारा 370 पर वर्षों तक बहस होती रही।
There was ongoing debate over Article 370 of the Constitution for years.
(sanvidhaan kii dhaaraa 370 par varshon tak bahas hotii rahii।)
पहले धारा को ध्यान से पढ़िए, फिर हस्ताक्षर करिए।
First read the clause carefully, then sign.
(pahle dhaaraa ko dhyaan se padhie, phir hastaakshar karie।)
खबर आई है कि दिल्ली के कुछ हिस्सों में धारा 144 लगा दी गई है।
News has come in that Section 144 has been imposed in some parts of Delhi.
(khabar aaii hai ki dillii ke kuchh hisson men dhaaraa 144 lagaa dii gaii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
धारा
(dhaaraa)
(sg.f.oblique):
धारा
(dhaaraa)
(pl.f.direct):
धाराएँ
(dhaaraaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
धाराओं
(dhaaraaon)