ज्वालामुखी (jvaalaamukhii)

noun A compound noun meaning 'volcano', built from ज्वाला (jvaalaa, 'flame') plus मुख (mukh, 'mouth/face') -- literally 'flame-mouthed'. It has just one everyday sense.
Sense 1 : volcano
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The word is a classic Sanskritic compound (a tatpurusha) of the kind common in science and geography vocabulary -- ज्वाला (jvaalaa) 'flame' plus मुख (mukh) 'mouth', so a volcano is literally imagined as a 'fire-mouth' in the earth. You will meet this word mostly in school geography lessons, news reports, and documentaries rather than casual chat, since volcanoes are not part of everyday North Indian life.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this as a two-word phrase, but it is written and used as a single noun. 2) The gender is masculine even though ज्वाला (jvaalaa, 'flame') alone is feminine -- the compound as a whole takes masculine agreement, e.g. यह ज्वालामुखी सक्रिय है (yah jvaalaamukhii sakriy hai, 'this volcano is active').
Sample Sentences:
इंडोनेशिया में कई सक्रिय ज्वालामुखी हैं। There are many active volcanoes in Indonesia.
(indoneshiyaa men kaii sakriy jvaalaamukhii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ्ते वह ज्वालामुखी अचानक फट गया। That volcano suddenly erupted last week.
(pichhle haphte vah jvaalaamukhii achaanak phat gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वैज्ञानिक इस ज्वालामुखी की गतिविधियों पर लगातार नज़र रख रहे हैं। Scientists are constantly monitoring this volcano's activity.
(vaigyaanik is jvaalaamukhii kii gatividhiyon par lagaataar nazar rakh rahe hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर यह ज्वालामुखी फटेगा, तो आस-पास के गाँव खाली करवाए जाएँगे। If this volcano erupts, the nearby villages will be evacuated.
(agar yah jvaalaamukhii phategaa, to aas-paas ke gaanv khaalii karvaae jaaenge।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
उस टापू के बीचोंबीच एक बड़ा ज्वालामुखी खड़ा है। A huge volcano stands right in the middle of that island.
(us taapoo ke biichombiich ek badaa jvaalaamukhii khadaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह ज्वालामुखी सचमुच फटता, तो पूरा शहर मिट जाता। If that volcano had really erupted, the whole city would have been wiped out.
(agar vah jvaalaamukhii sachmuch phattaa, to pooraa shahar mit jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
भूगोल की किताब में ज्वालामुखी का चित्र बना हुआ है। There is a picture of a volcano drawn in the geography textbook.
(bhoogol kii kitaab men jvaalaamukhii kaa chitr banaa huaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
टीचर ने बच्चों को समझाया कि ज्वालामुखी क्यों फटता है। The teacher explained to the children why a volcano erupts.
(tiichar ne bachchon ko samjhaayaa ki jvaalaamukhii kyon phattaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुमने कभी किसी ज्वालामुखी को पास से देखा है? Have you ever seen a volcano up close?
(kyaa tumne kabhii kisii jvaalaamukhii ko paas se dekhaa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दुनिया में सबसे ऊँचा ज्वालामुखी कौन सा है? Which is the tallest volcano in the world?
(duniyaa men sabse oonchaa jvaalaamukhii kaun saa hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): ज्वालामुखी (jvaalaamukhii)
(sg.m.oblique): ज्वालामुखी (jvaalaamukhii)
(pl.m.direct): ज्वालामुखी (jvaalaamukhii)
(pl.m.oblique): ज्वालामुखीयों (jvaalaamukhiiyon)