पल (pal)
noun/adverb
A common noun meaning 'moment' or 'instant' -- the basic unit for talking about brief stretches of time, used constantly in everyday speech and in poetry/song alike.
Sense
1
:
moment, instant
noun, masculine
Synonyms: क्षण (kshan, literary), लम्हा (lamhaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: पल (pal) shows up everywhere in Hindi film songs and shayari -- it carries a wistful, fleeting quality that English 'moment' doesn't always have, so it's often paired with words like हसीन (hasiin, 'beautiful') to mean a precious, passing instant worth savoring.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for मिनट (minat) when they mean a very short, almost immeasurable stretch of time -- पल (pal) is smaller and more emotional/poetic than a literal minute. 2) In fixed phrases like एक पल में (ek pal men, 'in a moment') the एक (ek) is often dropped in casual speech -- पल में आता हूँ (pal men aataa hoon, 'I'm coming in a moment') sounds perfectly natural.
Sample Sentences:
यह पल बहुत हसीन है।
This moment is very beautiful.
(yah pal bahut hasiin hai।)
वह पल मुझे आज भी याद है।
I still remember that moment today.
(vah pal mujhe aaj bhii yaad hai।)
एक पल के लिए मुझे लगा कि सब खत्म हो गया।
For a moment I felt that everything was over.
(ek pal ke lie mujhe lagaa ki sab khatm ho gayaa।)
काश मैं उस पल को फिर से जी पाता।
If only I could live that moment again.
(kaash main us pal ko phir se jii paataa।)
इस पल को अपने कैमरे में कैद कर लो।
Capture this moment in your camera.
(is pal ko apne kaimre men kaid kar lo।)
जिंदगी के हर हसीन पल को संजो कर रखना चाहिए।
One should treasure every beautiful moment of life.
(jindgii ke har hasiin pal ko sanjo kar rakhnaa chaahie।)
शायद अगला पल कुछ नया लेकर आए।
Perhaps the next moment will bring something new.
(shaayad aglaa pal kuchh nayaa lekar aae।)
वह पल हमेशा के लिए यादों में कैद हो गया।
That moment was forever captured in memories.
(vah pal hameshaa ke lie yaadon men kaid ho gayaa।)
गाने में हर पल को इतनी खूबसूरती से बयान किया गया है।
Every moment has been described so beautifully in the song.
(gaane men har pal ko itnii khoobsoortii se bayaan kiyaa gayaa hai।)
हम उस हसीन पल में खोए रहे।
We remained lost in that beautiful moment.
(ham us hasiin pal men khoe rahe।)
यह पल फिर कभी नहीं आएगा, इसलिए इसे जी लो।
This moment will never come again, so live it fully.
(yah pal phir kabhii nahiin aaegaa, islie ise jii lo।)
Sense
2
:
constantly (in the reduplicated phrase 'every moment')
adverb Occurs as the fixed reduplicated phrase पल-पल (pal-pal) functioning adverbially, meaning 'moment by moment' or 'constantly.'
Synonyms: हर पल (har pal), हर समय (har samay)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: पल-पल (pal-pal, 'every passing moment') is a favorite construction in romantic songs and poetry -- the reduplication itself paints a picture of time ticking by continuously, something a single पल (pal) can't convey alone.
Sample Sentences:
मैं तुम्हें पल-पल याद करता हूँ।
I think of you every moment.
(main tumhen pal-pal yaad kartaa hoon।)
उसका चेहरा पल-पल मेरी आँखों के सामने रहता है।
Her face stays before my eyes constantly.
(uskaa chehraa pal-pal merii aankhon ke saamne rahtaa hai।)
यह गाना कहता है कि दिल पल-पल बदलता है।
This song says that the heart changes every moment.
(yah gaanaa kahtaa hai ki dil pal-pal badaltaa hai।)
माँ पल-पल बच्चे की चिंता करती रहती थी।
Mother kept worrying about the child constantly.
(maan pal-pal bachche kii chintaa kartii rahtii thii।)
जब से वह गया है, मुझे पल-पल उसकी कमी महसूस होती है।
Ever since he left, I feel his absence every moment.
(jab se vah gayaa hai, mujhe pal-pal uskii kamii mahsoos hotii hai।)
काश तुम भी मुझे पल-पल याद करते।
If only you too remembered me every moment.
(kaash tum bhii mujhe pal-pal yaad karte।)
पल-पल रंग बदलती इस दुनिया पर भरोसा मत करो।
Don't trust this world that changes color every moment.
(pal-pal rang badaltii is duniyaa par bharosaa mat karo।)
उसकी सेहत पल-पल बिगड़ती जा रही थी।
His health was deteriorating with every passing moment.
(uskii sehat pal-pal bigadtii jaa rahii thii।)
फिल्म में हीरो पल-पल अपनी प्रेमिका को याद करता दिखाया गया है।
In the film, the hero is shown remembering his beloved every moment.
(philm men hiiro pal-pal apnii premikaa ko yaad kartaa dikhaayaa gayaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पल
(pal)
(sg.m.oblique):
पल
(pal)
(pl.m.direct):
पल
(pal)
(pl.m.oblique):
पलों
(palon)