शहीद (shahiid)
noun/adjective
A borrowed word (from Arabic via Persian/Urdu) meaning 'martyr' -- someone who dies for a cause, country, or faith. Used as a noun and as an adjective describing the person or their sacrifice.
Sense
1
:
martyr (person who dies for a cause)
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: बलिदानी (balidaanii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word carries deep emotional and patriotic weight in India -- shahiid diwas (shahiid divas, 'Martyrs' Day') is observed on January 30th and March 23rd for different sets of freedom fighters, and you will see शहीद स्मारक (shahiid smaarak, 'martyrs' memorial') in towns across the country. It is not a neutral clinical term like 'deceased' -- using it confers real honor, so Hindi speakers are careful about who they call शहीद (shahiid).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use शहीद (shahiid) loosely for anyone who simply dies, but it is reserved for death in service of a cause, country, or belief -- a soldier, freedom fighter, or activist, not an ordinary death. 2) The common verb pairing is शहीद होना (shahiid honaa, 'to be martyred') for the person dying, and शहीद करना (shahiid karnaa, 'to martyr someone') for causing it -- learners sometimes reach for मरना (marnaa) instead, which loses the honorific weight.
Sample Sentences:
भगत सिंह इस देश के सबसे मशहूर शहीदों में से एक हैं।
Bhagat Singh is one of the most famous martyrs of this country.
(bhagat sinh is desh ke sabse mashahoor shahiidon men se ek hain।)
हर साल गणतंत्र दिवस पर शहीदों को श्रद्धांजलि दी जाती है।
Every year on Republic Day, tribute is paid to the martyrs.
(har saal gantantr divas par shahiidon ko shraddhaanjli dii jaatii hai।)
उस जवान का शव देखकर पूरा गाँव रो पड़ा, वह शहीद हमारा बेटा था।
Seeing that soldier's body, the whole village broke down crying -- that martyr was our son.
(us javaan kaa shav dekhkar pooraa gaanv ro padaa, vah shahiid hamaaraa betaa thaa।)
शहीदों के परिवारों की मदद करना सरकार की जिम्मेदारी है।
Helping the families of martyrs is the government's responsibility.
(shahiidon ke parivaaron kii madad karnaa sarkaar kii jimmedaarii hai।)
काश वह शहीद आज हमारे बीच होता और अपनी कुर्बानी का फल देखता।
If only that martyr were among us today to see the fruit of his sacrifice.
(kaash vah shahiid aaj hamaare biich hotaa aur apnii kurbaanii kaa phal dekhtaa।)
स्कूल में हर शहीद के नाम पर एक पेड़ लगाया गया।
At the school, a tree was planted in the name of every martyr.
(skool men har shahiid ke naam par ek ped lagaayaa gayaa।)
शहीदों की याद में हर शहर में एक स्मारक बनाया जाना चाहिए।
A memorial should be built in every city in memory of the martyrs.
(shahiidon kii yaad men har shahar men ek smaarak banaayaa jaanaa chaahie।)
उस शहीद की माँ से मिलकर मुझे लगा कि सच्ची देशभक्ति क्या होती है।
Meeting that martyr's mother, I realized what true patriotism really is.
(us shahiid kii maan se milkar mujhe lagaa ki sachchii deshbhakti kyaa hotii hai।)
ऐ शहीदो, तुम्हारा बलिदान कभी व्यर्थ नहीं जाएगा।
O martyrs, your sacrifice shall never go in vain.
(ai shahiido, tumhaaraa balidaan kabhii vyarth nahiin jaaegaa।)
क्या हम अपने शहीदों का सम्मान सिर्फ एक दिन याद करके कर सकते हैं?
Can we honor our martyrs by remembering them for just one day?
(kyaa ham apne shahiidon kaa sammaan sirph ek din yaad karke kar sakte hain?)
गाँव के लोग हर साल शहीद के घर जाकर उसके परिवार का हालचाल पूछते हैं।
The villagers go to the martyr's house every year and ask after his family's wellbeing.
(gaanv ke log har saal shahiid ke ghar jaakar uske parivaar kaa haalchaal poochhte hain।)
Sense
2
:
martyred, having died a martyr's death
adjective Most often seen predicatively with होना (honaa), as in वह शहीद हो गया (vah shahiid ho gayaa, 'he was martyred/died a martyr').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in news reports about soldiers -- सैनिक शहीद हो गया (sainik shahiid ho gayaa, 'the soldier was martyred') is a standard headline phrase, carrying respect that a plain 'died' (mar gayaa) would not.
Sample Sentences:
सैनिक शहीद हो गया।
The soldier was martyred.
(sainik shahiid ho gayaa।)
कल की मुठभेड़ में दो जवान शहीद हो गए।
Two soldiers were martyred in yesterday's encounter.
(kal kii muthbhed men do javaan shahiid ho gae।)
उसका बेटा सीमा पर शहीद हुआ था।
Her son had been martyred at the border.
(uskaa betaa siimaa par shahiid huaa thaa।)
अगर वह लड़ाई में शहीद हो जाए, तो पूरा गाँव शोक मनाएगा।
If he were to be martyred in the battle, the whole village would mourn.
(agar vah ladaaii men shahiid ho jaae, to pooraa gaanv shok manaaegaa।)
काश वह शहीद न हुआ होता, तो आज अपने बच्चों के साथ होता।
If only he hadn't been martyred, he would be with his children today.
(kaash vah shahiid n huaa hotaa, to aaj apne bachchon ke saath hotaa।)
शहीद सैनिकों के परिवारों को सरकार पेंशन देती है।
The government gives a pension to the families of martyred soldiers.
(shahiid sainikon ke parivaaron ko sarkaar penshan detii hai।)
युद्ध में हर रोज़ कई सैनिक शहीद होते रहे।
Many soldiers kept getting martyred every day during the war.
(yuddh men har roz kaii sainik shahiid hote rahe।)
शहीद जवान का पार्थिव शरीर आज गाँव पहुँचेगा।
The martyred soldier's body will reach the village today.
(shahiid javaan kaa paarthiv shariir aaj gaanv pahunchegaa।)
शहीद हुए जवानों को श्रद्धांजलि दी गई।
Tribute was paid to the martyred soldiers.
(shahiid hue javaanon ko shraddhaanjli dii gaii।)
देश के लिए शहीद होना हर किसी के बस की बात नहीं।
Being martyred for the country is not something everyone is capable of.
(desh ke lie shahiid honaa har kisii ke bas kii baat nahiin।)
शहीद वीरों को नमन!
Salute to the martyred heroes!
(shahiid viiron ko naman!)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
शहीद
(shahiid)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
शहीद
(shahiid)
(pl.m/f.direct):
शहीदें
(shahiiden)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
शहीदों
(shahiidon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
शहीद
(shahiid)