दम (dam)

noun Basic meaning is 'breath' (dam), which extends metaphorically to strength/stamina, courage/nerve, and life-force; it also appears as the name of a slow-cooking technique in food (dum cooking) and inside many common idioms.

Sense 1 : breath

noun, masculine

Synonyms: साँस (saans)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Think of दम (dam) as breath-as-life-force rather than just the mechanical act of breathing -- that is why so many idioms about stamina, courage, and even dying (दम तोड़ना, dam todnaa, 'to breathe one's last') build on this word.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for साँस (saans) in every context, but दम (dam) is preferred in fixed idioms like दम घुटना (dam ghutnaa, 'to suffocate/feel stifled') and दम लेना (dam lenaa, 'to take a breather') -- the two are not freely interchangeable everywhere.

Sample Sentences:

दौड़ते हुए उसका दम फूल गया। His breath grew ragged from running.

(daudte hue uskaa dam phool gayaa।)

बुढ़िया ने आखिरी दम तोड़ दिया। The old woman breathed her last.

(budhiyaa ne aakhirii dam tod diyaa।)

इतनी ऊंचाई पर दम लेना भी मुश्किल हो जाता है। At such a height, even drawing breath becomes difficult.

(itnii oonchaaii par dam lenaa bhii mushkil ho jaataa hai।)

जब तक मुझमें दम है, मैं यह लड़ाई नहीं छोड़ूंगा। As long as there's breath in me, I won't give up this fight.

(jab tak mujhmen dam hai, main yah ladaaii nahiin chhodoongaa।)

थोड़ा दम तो ले लो, फिर आगे बढ़ना। Catch your breath a bit, then move ahead.

(thodaa dam to le lo, phir aage badhnaa।)

अगर उसका दम न टूटा होता, तो वह और दूर तक तैर पाता। If his breath hadn't given out, he could have swum further.

(agar uskaa dam n tootaa hotaa, to vah aur door tak tair paataa।)

मरीज़ का दम घुट रहा था, तभी डॉक्टर आ गए। The patient was choking for breath, right when the doctor arrived.

(mariiz kaa dam ghut rahaa thaa, tabhii doktar aa gae।)

धुएं से भरे कमरे में दम घुटने लगा। In the smoke-filled room, breathing began to feel suffocating.

(dhuen se bhare kamre men dam ghutne lagaa।)

क्या तुम एक पल के लिए भी दम रोक सकते हो? Can you hold your breath even for a moment?

(kyaa tum ek pal ke lie bhii dam rok sakte ho?)

सैनिक ने दम भर कर अंतिम गोली चलाई। The soldier fired the last bullet with his dying breath.

(sainik ne dam bhar kar antim golii chalaaii।)

उम्मीद है कि दम रहते ही वह अपने बच्चों से मिल पाए। Let's hope he manages to see his children while there's still breath left in him.

(ummiid hai ki dam rahte hii vah apne bachchon se mil paae।)

Sense 2 : stamina, strength, energy

noun, masculine

Synonyms: ताकत (taakat), जान (jaan)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in everyday encouragement and boasting alike -- दम है तो आगे आओ (dam hai to aage aao, 'come forward if you have the guts/strength') is a classic challenge line, and इस मोटर में बहुत दम है (is motar men bahut dam hai, 'this engine has a lot of power') shows it applied to machines too.

Sample Sentences:

इस मोटर में बहुत दम है। This engine has a lot of power.

(is motar men bahut dam hai।)

दम है तो आगे आओ। Come forward if you have the guts.

(dam hai to aage aao।)

उसमें अब पहले जैसा दम नहीं रहा। He doesn't have the stamina he used to have.

(usmen ab pahle jaisaa dam nahiin rahaa।)

अगर मुझमें इतना दम होता, तो मैं यह पहाड़ चढ़ लेता। If I had that much stamina, I would climb this mountain.

(agar mujhmen itnaa dam hotaa, to main yah pahaad chadh letaa।)

बुढ़ापे में भी उनके शरीर में गजब का दम था। Even in old age, his body had amazing strength.

(budhaape men bhii unke shariir men gajab kaa dam thaa।)

दौड़ते-दौड़ते उसका दम टूटने लगा, फिर भी वह रुका नहीं। His strength started giving out as he kept running, but he didn't stop.

(daudte-daudte uskaa dam tootne lagaa, phir bhii vah rukaa nahiin।)

इस टीम में जीतने का पूरा दम है। This team has the full strength to win.

(is tiim men jiitne kaa pooraa dam hai।)

क्या इस पुरानी बाइक में इतना दम बचा होगा कि पहाड़ी चढ़ सके? I wonder if this old bike has enough power left to climb the hill.

(kyaa is puraanii baaik men itnaa dam bachaa hogaa ki pahaadii chadh sake?)

आदरणीय महोदय, इस मशीन में उत्पादन बढ़ाने का पूरा दम है। Respected sir, this machine has full capacity to increase production.

(aadarniiy mahoday, is mashiin men utpaadan badhaane kaa pooraa dam hai।)

उसकी आवाज़ में इतना दम था कि पूरा हॉल गूंज उठा। There was so much power in his voice that the whole hall resounded.

(uskii aavaaz men itnaa dam thaa ki pooraa hol goonj uthaa।)

जब तक शरीर में दम है, तब तक हार नहीं मानूँगा। As long as there is strength in this body, I will not accept defeat.

(jab tak shariir men dam hai, tab tak haar nahiin maanoongaa।)

Sense 3 : courage, nerve, boldness

noun, masculine

Synonyms: हिम्मत (himmat), हौसला (hauslaa)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: उसमें दम नहीं है (usmen dam nahiin hai, 'he doesn't have the guts') is a very common putdown in casual conversation, and it overlaps closely with हिम्मत (himmat) -- but दम (dam) leans slightly more toward raw gutsiness/capability than हिम्मत's (himmat) moral courage.

Common Mistakes: 1) दम (dam) in this sense almost always appears with होना (honaa) in the pattern X में दम होना (X men dam honaa, 'to have it in X'), so learners should get comfortable with the में...होना (men...honaa) frame rather than trying to use दम (dam) as a direct object of a verb like 'to have'.

Sample Sentences:

उसमें दम नहीं है कि वह अपने बॉस के सामने खड़ा हो सके। He doesn't have the guts to stand up to his boss.

(usmen dam nahiin hai ki vah apne bos ke saamne khadaa ho sake।)

अगर तुझमें दम है तो सामने आकर बोल। If you've got the nerve, come out and say it to my face.

(agar tujhmen dam hai to saamne aakar bol।)

उस लड़की में इतना दम है कि वह अकेले पूरी कंपनी चला सकती है। That girl has enough nerve to run the whole company on her own.

(us ladkii men itnaa dam hai ki vah akele poorii kampnii chalaa saktii hai।)

क्या उसमें इतना दम था कि वह सच बोल सके? Did he really have the guts to speak the truth?

(kyaa usmen itnaa dam thaa ki vah sach bol sake?)

अगर उसमें दम होता, तो वह कभी का इस्तीफा दे चुका होता। If he had the nerve, he would have resigned long ago.

(agar usmen dam hotaa, to vah kabhii kaa istiiphaa de chukaa hotaa।)

काश मुझमें भी उतना दम होता। I wish I had that much nerve too.

(kaash mujhmen bhii utnaa dam hotaa।)

दम है तो इस पहाड़ पर चढ़कर दिखा। If you've got the nerve, climb this mountain and show me.

(dam hai to is pahaad par chadhkar dikhaa।)

पुलिस के सामने सच बोलने का दम बहुत कम लोगों में होता है। Very few people have the nerve to tell the truth in front of the police.

(pulis ke saamne sach bolne kaa dam bahut kam logon men hotaa hai।)

उसमें दम नहीं है, वरना अब तक अपनी दुकान खोल चुका होता। He doesn't have the guts, otherwise he would have opened his own shop by now.

(usmen dam nahiin hai, varnaa ab tak apnii dukaan khol chukaa hotaa।)

अपने विचार खुलकर रखने का दम रखना हर किसी के बस की बात नहीं। Having the nerve to openly voice your opinions isn't something everyone can manage.

(apne vichaar khulkar rakhne kaa dam rakhnaa har kisii ke bas kii baat nahiin।)

उसमें इतना दम कहाँ था कि माँ-बाप की मर्जी के खिलाफ जाए। Where did he have the nerve to go against his parents' wishes?

(usmen itnaa dam kahaan thaa ki maan-baap kii marjii ke khilaaph jaae।)

Sense 4 : dum cooking (slow-cooking technique, sealed-pot steam method)

noun, masculine Used attributively before a dish name, as in दम आलू (dam aaloo, 'potatoes cooked dum-style') or बिरयानी दम पर पकाना (biryaanii dam par pakaanaa, 'to cook biryani on dum').

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This दम (dam) comes from the same root idea of trapped 'breath'/steam -- the pot is sealed (often with dough) so the dish cooks in its own steam and aroma, which is exactly what gives dum biryani (dam biryaanii) and दम आलू (dam aaloo) their signature depth of flavor.

Sample Sentences:

यह बिरयानी दम पर पकाई गई है। This biryani has been cooked on dum.

(yah biryaanii dam par pakaaii gaii hai।)

मेरी माँ दम आलू बहुत स्वादिष्ट बनाती है। My mother makes very tasty dum aloo.

(merii maan dam aaloo bahut svaadisht banaatii hai।)

बिरयानी को दम पर पकाओ ताकि ख़ुशबू अंदर ही रह जाए। Cook the biryani on dum so that the aroma stays trapped inside.

(biryaanii ko dam par pakaao taaki khushboo andar hii rah jaae।)

हांडी को आटे से सील करके दम पर रखा जाता है। The pot is sealed with dough and placed on dum.

(haandii ko aate se siil karke dam par rakhaa jaataa hai।)

अगर तुम इसे दम पर पकाते तो स्वाद और गहरा होता। If you had cooked it on dum, the flavor would have been even deeper.

(agar tum ise dam par pakaate to svaad aur gahraa hotaa।)

शेफ़ ने कहा कि दम पकाने की यह विधि नवाबी रसोई से आई है। The chef said that this dum cooking method comes from the royal kitchens.

(shef ne kahaa ki dam pakaane kii yah vidhi navaabii rasoii se aaii hai।)

क्या तुम चाहते हो कि मैं मटन को दम पर पकाऊँ? Do you want me to cook the mutton on dum?

(kyaa tum chaahte ho ki main matan ko dam par pakaaoon?)

अगली बार हम दम बिरयानी घर पर ही बनाएँगे। Next time we will make dum biryani at home itself.

(aglii baar ham dam biryaanii ghar par hii banaaenge।)

पारंपरिक रसोइए दम पकाने की कला को पीढ़ियों से सहेजते आए हैं। Traditional cooks have been preserving the art of dum cooking for generations.

(paaramprik rasoie dam pakaane kii kalaa ko piidhiyon se sahejte aae hain।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): दम (dam)

(sg.m.oblique): दम (dam)

(pl.m.direct): दम (dam)

(pl.m.oblique): दमों (damon)