इनाम (inaam)

noun A single-sense everyday word meaning a prize, reward, or gift given for merit or good deed.
Sense 1 : prize, reward
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पुरस्कार (puraskaar, formal), उपहार (upahaar, often a gift rather than a merit-based reward), ईनाम (iinaam, variant spelling)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: इनाम (inaam) comes up constantly around school and sports contexts -- an इनाम वितरण समारोह (inaam vitran samaaroh, 'prize distribution ceremony') is a fixture of Indian school life, complete with certificates and small trophies. It also shows up in everyday parenting speech: a parent might promise a child इनाम दूँगा (inaam doongaa, 'I'll give you a reward') for good behavior or good grades, so the word carries a warm, motivational flavor beyond just formal competitions.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use मिलना (milnaa) with an को-marked recipient -- इनाम मिलना (inaam milnaa, 'to receive a prize') -- rather than trying to make इनाम (inaam) the subject of लेना (lenaa) in a direct translation of 'to get.' 2) देना (denaa) is used for 'to award/give' a prize, but the giver takes ने (ne) in the past tense since देना (denaa) is transitive, e.g. उसने इनाम दिया (usne inaam diyaa, 'he gave the prize') -- learners sometimes forget this because इनाम (inaam) itself feels like the 'main' word in the sentence.
Sample Sentences:
अगर तुम अच्छे नंबर लाओगे तो मैं तुम्हें इनाम दूँगा। If you get good marks, I'll give you a reward.
(agar tum achchhe nambar laaoge to main tumhen inaam doongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
स्कूल में हर साल इनाम वितरण समारोह होता है। There is a prize distribution ceremony at school every year.
(skool men har saal inaam vitran samaaroh hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसे दौड़ में पहला इनाम मिला। He got first prize in the race.
(use daud men pahlaa inaam milaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बेटा, अगर तुम रोज़ पढ़ोगे तो मैं तुम्हें कोई अच्छा इनाम दूँगा। Son, if you study every day, I'll give you a nice reward.
(betaa, agar tum roz padhoge to main tumhen koii achchhaa inaam doongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इनाम की घोषणा प्रधानाचार्य द्वारा की जाएगी। The prize announcement will be made by the principal.
(inaam kii ghoshnaa pradhaanaachaary dvaaraa kii jaaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
काश मुझे भी कोई इनाम मिलता। I wish I had gotten some prize too.
(kaash mujhe bhii koii inaam miltaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
तुम्हें अपना इनाम खुद लेने के लिए मंच पर आना होगा। You'll have to come up on stage yourself to collect your prize.
(tumhen apnaa inaam khud lene ke lie manch par aanaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
विजेताओं को उनके इनाम दिए जा रहे हैं। The winners are being given their prizes.
(vijetaaon ko unke inaam die jaa rahe hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
इनाम पाकर वह बहुत खुश हुई। She was very happy after receiving the prize.
(inaam paakar vah bahut khush huii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जो सबसे ज़्यादा किताबें पढ़ेगा, उसे विशेष इनाम मिलेगा। Whoever reads the most books will get a special prize.
(jo sabse zyaadaa kitaaben padhegaa, use vishesh inaam milegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
क्विज़ में जीतने वाली टीम को नकद इनाम दिया जाएगा। The team that wins the quiz will be given a cash prize.
(kviz men jiitne vaalii tiim ko nakad inaam diyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): इनाम (inaam)
(sg.m.oblique): इनाम (inaam)
(pl.m.direct): इनाम (inaam)
(pl.m.oblique): इनामों (inaamon)