जन्म (janm)
noun
A single core sense meaning 'birth', used both literally and in a cluster of common fixed expressions about life, rebirth, and lifelong bonds.
Sense
1
:
birth
noun, masculine Common in the pattern X का जन्म होना (kaa janm honaa, 'X's birth to happen'), used to state that someone was born, and in जन्म लेना (janm lenaa, 'to take birth') as the everyday verb phrase for 'to be born.'
Synonyms: जन्मदिन (janmdin, birthday, narrower), पैदाइश (paidaaish)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Hindu thought जन्म (janm) is never a one-time event -- it's tied to the cycle of जन्म-मरण (janm-maran, 'birth and death') and पुनर्जन्म (punarjanm, 'rebirth'), so the word carries a philosophical weight beyond the biological fact of being born. You'll hear this in everyday blessings too, like जन्मों-जन्मों तक साथ रहना (janmon-janmon tak saath rahnaa, 'to stay together across lifetimes'), often said to newlyweds.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'to be born' with जन्मना (janmnaa) alone, but everyday speech overwhelmingly prefers the phrase जन्म लेना (janm lenaa) or जन्म होना (janm honaa). 2) The person born takes का/की/के (kaa/kii/ke) before जन्म (janm), not ने (ne) -- e.g. मेरा जन्म (meraa janm, 'my birth'), not मैंने जन्म (mainne janm).
Sample Sentences:
उसका जन्म दिल्ली में हुआ था।
He was born in Delhi.
(uskaa janm dillii men huaa thaa।)
मेरा जन्म एक छोटे से गाँव में हुआ था।
I was born in a small village.
(meraa janm ek chhote se gaanv men huaa thaa।)
बच्चे के जन्म की खबर सुनकर सब खुश हो गए।
Everyone was overjoyed to hear the news of the child's birth.
(bachche ke janm kii khabar sunkar sab khush ho gae।)
उसका जन्म प्रमाणपत्र अभी तक नहीं बना है।
His birth certificate hasn't been made yet.
(uskaa janm pramaanpatr abhii tak nahiin banaa hai।)
हिंदू मान्यता के अनुसार आत्मा जन्म और मरण के चक्र से गुज़रती है।
According to Hindu belief, the soul passes through the cycle of birth and death.
(hindoo maanytaa ke anusaar aatmaa janm aur maran ke chakr se guzartii hai।)
अगर उसका जन्म एक दिन पहले होता तो वह मेरे भाई के साथ ही पढ़ता।
If he had been born a day earlier, he would have studied with my brother.
(agar uskaa janm ek din pahle hotaa to vah mere bhaaii ke saath hii padhtaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि बच्चे का जन्म समय से पहले हो सकता है।
The doctor said that the baby's birth might happen prematurely.
(doktar ne kahaa ki bachche kaa janm samay se pahle ho saktaa hai।)
जन्मों-जन्मों तक साथ रहना, यही आशीर्वाद दिया गया।
May you stay together across lifetimes -- that was the blessing given.
(janmon-janmon tak saath rahnaa, yahii aashiirvaad diyaa gayaa।)
उसके जन्म के समय पूरे परिवार में खुशी की लहर दौड़ गई।
At the time of his birth, a wave of joy swept through the whole family.
(uske janm ke samay poore parivaar men khushii kii lahar daud gaii।)
काश उसका जन्म ऐसे घर में होता जहाँ पढ़ाई की सुविधा होती।
If only he had been born into a home where there were facilities for education.
(kaash uskaa janm aise ghar men hotaa jahaan padhaaii kii suvidhaa hotii।)
अपना जन्मदिन मनाने से पहले वह अपनी माँ को फ़ोन करता है, यह सोचकर कि आज उसके जन्म का दिन है।
Before celebrating his birthday, he calls his mother, thinking that today is the day of his birth.
(apnaa janmdin manaane se pahle vah apnii maan ko fon kartaa hai, yah sochkar ki aaj uske janm kaa din hai।)
Sense
2
:
a lifetime, an existence (as in a cycle of lives)
noun, masculine Used countably, as in इस जन्म में (is janm men, 'in this lifetime') or अगले जन्म में (agle janm men, 'in the next lifetime'), framing life as one instance in a series rather than a single continuous existence.
Synonyms: जीवन (jiivan, broader, means 'life' generally), ज़िंदगी (zindgii, broader)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense is what makes lines like इस जन्म में नहीं, अगले जन्म में (is janm men nahiin, agle janm men, 'not in this life, in the next') so natural in Hindi -- the idea that a soul gets multiple जन्म (janm) is baked into everyday speech, not just religious texts.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for ज़िंदगी (zindgii) or जीवन (jiivan) when talking about reincarnation, but जन्म (janm) is the natural word for 'a life' in that specific cyclical sense -- as in हर जन्म (har janm, 'every lifetime').
Sample Sentences:
इस जन्म में नहीं, अगले जन्म में मिलेंगे।
Not in this lifetime, we will meet in the next one.
(is janm men nahiin, agle janm men milenge।)
हर जन्म में इंसान अपने कर्मों का फल भोगता है।
In every lifetime, a person reaps the fruits of their deeds.
(har janm men insaan apne karmon kaa phal bhogtaa hai।)
काश इस जन्म में मैं तुमसे मिल पाता।
If only I could have met you in this lifetime.
(kaash is janm men main tumse mil paataa।)
आत्मा कई जन्मों से गुज़रती है।
The soul passes through many lifetimes.
(aatmaa kaii janmon se guzartii hai।)
पिछले जन्म में शायद हम भाई-बहन थे।
In our previous lifetime, we were perhaps siblings.
(pichhle janm men shaayad ham bhaaii-bahan the।)
यह रिश्ता जन्म-जन्म का साथ है।
This relationship is a bond across lifetimes.
(yah rishtaa janm-janm kaa saath hai।)
अगले जन्म में मुझे इंसान ही बनाना, भगवान।
Make me a human again in my next life, God.
(agle janm men mujhe insaan hii banaanaa, bhagvaan।)
कहते हैं कि हर जन्म में हमें वही सबक फिर से सीखना पड़ता है।
They say that in every lifetime we have to learn the same lesson again.
(kahte hain ki har janm men hamen vahii sabak phir se siikhnaa padtaa hai।)
क्या तुम मानते हो कि इंसान का एक ही जन्म होता है?
Do you believe that a person has only one lifetime?
(kyaa tum maante ho ki insaan kaa ek hii janm hotaa hai?)
यह प्रेम कहानी सदियों से जन्म-दर-जन्म कही जाती रही है।
This love story has been told from lifetime to lifetime for centuries.
(yah prem kahaanii sadiyon se janm-dar-janm kahii jaatii rahii hai।)
Sense
3
:
origin, birthplace/native (in compounds)
noun, masculine Appears as the first element of compounds like जन्मस्थान (janmasthaan, 'birthplace') and जन्मभूमि (janmbhoomi, 'homeland/native land'), and adjectivally in phrases like जन्म से (janm se, 'by birth', e.g. जन्म से भारतीय (janm se bhaartiiy, 'Indian by birth')).
Synonyms: मूल (mool, origin, broader)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: जन्मभूमि (janmbhoomi) carries strong emotional and nationalistic overtones in Hindi -- it's the word used for one's sacred 'motherland,' distinct from the more neutral देश (desh, 'country').
Sample Sentences:
यह मेरी जन्मभूमि है।
This is my native land.
(yah merii janmbhoomi hai।)
वे अपनी जन्मभूमि को कभी नहीं भूल सकते।
They can never forget their motherland.
(ve apnii janmbhoomi ko kabhii nahiin bhool sakte।)
उसकी जन्मभाषा पंजाबी है, पर वह हिंदी भी बहुत अच्छी बोलता है।
His native language is Punjabi, but he also speaks Hindi very well.
(uskii janmbhaashaa panjaabii hai, par vah hindii bhii bahut achchhii boltaa hai।)
सैनिकों ने अपनी जन्मभूमि की रक्षा के लिए जान दे दी।
The soldiers gave their lives to defend their motherland.
(sainikon ne apnii janmbhoomi kii rakshaa ke lie jaan de dii।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिले, तो मैं अपनी जन्मभूमि लौट जाऊँ।
If I got the chance, I would return to my native land.
(agar mujhe maukaa mile, to main apnii janmbhoomi laut jaaoon।)
काश मैं अपनी जन्मभूमि की मिट्टी में फिर से खड़ा होता।
If only I could stand once again on the soil of my native land.
(kaash main apnii janmbhoomi kii mittii men phir se khadaa hotaa।)
हे जन्मभूमि, तुझे शत-शत नमन!
O motherland, a hundred salutations to you!
(he janmbhoomi, tujhe shat-shat naman!)
उसका जन्मस्थान इस शहर के पास एक छोटा-सा गाँव है।
His birthplace is a small village near this city.
(uskaa janmasthaan is shahar ke paas ek chhotaa-saa gaanv hai।)
जन्मभूमि का सम्मान करना हर नागरिक का कर्तव्य है।
Honoring the motherland is every citizen's duty.
(janmbhoomi kaa sammaan karnaa har naagrik kaa kartavy hai।)
इस कवि की जन्मभूमि पर आज भी उसकी कविताएँ गाई जाती हैं।
Even today, his poems are sung in this poet's native land.
(is kavi kii janmbhoomi par aaj bhii uskii kavitaaen gaaii jaatii hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
जन्म
(janm)
(sg.m.oblique):
जन्म
(janm)
(pl.m.direct):
जन्म
(janm)
(pl.m.oblique):
जन्मों
(janmon)