नाम (naam)
noun/postposition
Mainly 'name' as a noun, with a common extended sense meaning 'fame/reputation'; also appears in a few frequent idioms and postposition-like phrases such as 'in the name of' (ke naam par).
Sense
1
:
name (of a person, place, or thing)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the very first words every learner meets, usually in the exchange आपका नाम क्या है? (‘what is your name?’) followed by मेरा नाम ... है (‘my name is ...’). Note that नाम itself is invariant in gender agreement (always treated as masculine: मेरा नाम), regardless of the gender of the person it names.
Common Mistakes: 1) Asking someone's name uses the dative-subject-style question आपका नाम क्या है (aapkaa naam kyaa hai, 'what is your name'), not a literal 'you are called' construction like in some other languages -- learners sometimes overthink this and try to translate 'to be named' with a verb instead of this simple possessive frame. 2) मेरा नाम X है (meraa naam raaj hai, 'my name is Raj') uses है, not हूँ, since the sentence is about नाम (grammatically masculine), not about 'I'.
Sample Sentences:
आपका नाम क्या है?
What is your name?
(aapkaa naam kyaa hai?)
मेरा नाम राहुल है।
My name is Rahul.
(meraa naam raahul hai।)
उसका नाम सुनते ही मुझे सब याद आ गया।
As soon as I heard her name, I remembered everything.
(uskaa naam sunte hii mujhe sab yaad aa gayaa।)
कृपया अपना पूरा नाम यहाँ लिखिए।
Please write your full name here.
(kripyaa apnaa pooraa naam yahaan likhie।)
इस गाँव का नाम पहले कुछ और था।
This village's name used to be something else earlier.
(is gaanv kaa naam pahle kuchh aur thaa।)
क्या तुम्हें उसका नाम याद है?
Do you remember his name?
(kyaa tumhen uskaa naam yaad hai?)
अगर उसका नाम मुझे पता होता, तो मैं उसे बुला लेता।
If I had known his name, I would have called him.
(agar uskaa naam mujhe pataa hotaa, to main use bulaa letaa।)
बच्चे का नाम रखने के लिए सब मिलकर सोच रहे हैं।
Everyone is thinking together to decide the baby's name.
(bachche kaa naam rakhne ke lie sab milkar soch rahe hain।)
फॉर्म पर उम्मीदवार का नाम गलत लिखा गया था।
The candidate's name had been written incorrectly on the form.
(phorm par ummiidvaar kaa naam galat likhaa gayaa thaa।)
शायद उसका नाम कुछ और हो।
Perhaps his name is something else.
(shaayad uskaa naam kuchh aur ho।)
हर छात्र का नाम रजिस्टर में दर्ज होना चाहिए।
Every student's name should be recorded in the register.
(har chhaatr kaa naam rajistar men darj honaa chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
fame, reputation, renown
noun, masculine Common in set phrases like नाम कमाना (naam kamaanaa, 'to earn a name/fame') and नाम होना (naam honaa, 'to become famous, to have a reputation').
Synonyms: शोहरत (shohrat), यश (yash, literary), इज़्ज़त (izzat, reputation/honor, close but broader)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in praise or gossip: किसी का नाम है (kisii kaa naam hai, 'so-and-so has a name/reputation') is how Hindi speakers talk about someone being well-known in their field, whether a chef, a doctor, or a wrestler in the local akhara.
Common Mistakes: 1) नाम कमाना (naam kamaanaa) literally 'to earn a name' means 'to become famous/well-regarded,' not literally to acquire a name -- learners sometimes miss the idiomatic reading and take it too literally. 2) In this sense नाम is often used without an article-like word in English but still needs का/की/के possessives in Hindi, e.g. उसके नाम की चर्चा (uske naam kii charchaa, 'talk of his/her fame').
Sample Sentences:
उस डॉक्टर का बहुत नाम है।
That doctor has a great reputation.
(us doktar kaa bahut naam hai।)
इस हलवाई का पूरे शहर में नाम है।
This sweet-maker has a name all over the city.
(is halvaaii kaa poore shahar men naam hai।)
अखाड़े में उस पहलवान का बड़ा नाम था।
That wrestler had a great reputation in the akhara.
(akhaade men us pahalvaan kaa badaa naam thaa।)
मेहनत करो, एक दिन तुम्हारा भी नाम होगा।
Work hard, one day you too will have a name.
(mehnat karo, ek din tumhaaraa bhii naam hogaa।)
उसने अपनी मेहनत से नाम कमाया है।
She has earned a reputation through her hard work.
(usne apnii mehnat se naam kamaayaa hai।)
इतनी गलतियाँ करते रहोगे तो नाम खराब हो जाएगा।
If you keep making so many mistakes, your reputation will be ruined.
(itnii galtiyaan karte rahoge to naam kharaab ho jaaegaa।)
काश उसका इतना नाम न होता, तो वह ज़्यादा आज़ाद ज़िंदगी जी पाता।
If only he hadn't had so much fame, he could have lived a freer life.
(kaash uskaa itnaa naam n hotaa, to vah zyaadaa aazaad zindgii jii paataa।)
शहर में उसका नाम ऐसा फैला कि लोग दूर-दूर से उसके पास आने लगे।
His reputation spread through the city such that people began coming to him from far away.
(shahar men uskaa naam aisaa phailaa ki log door-door se uske paas aane lage।)
कभी-कभी लगता है कि उसका नाम उसकी काबिलियत से ज़्यादा बड़ा हो गया है।
Sometimes it feels like his reputation has grown bigger than his actual ability.
(kabhii-kabhii lagtaa hai ki uskaa naam uskii kaabiliyat se zyaadaa badaa ho gayaa hai।)
उम्मीद है कि उसका नाम इस काम से और बढ़े।
Hopefully his reputation grows further with this work.
(ummiid hai ki uskaa naam is kaam se aur badhe।)
Sense
3
:
in the name of, on behalf of, under the pretext of
postposition Occurs in the fixed frame [X] के नाम पर (ke naam par, 'in the name of X'), where X is in the oblique case before के.
Synonyms: के नाम पर (ke naam par, full standard form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a favorite construction in Hindi news and political commentary: विकास के नाम पर (vikaas ke naam par, 'in the name of development') is a very common critical phrase you will hear when someone suspects an official excuse is covering up something else.
Common Mistakes: 1) This phrase often carries a skeptical or critical edge in real speech -- धर्म के नाम पर (dharm ke naam par, 'in the name of religion') usually implies the speaker doubts the sincerity of the claim, which learners can miss if they read it as neutral. 2) Do not confuse with के नाम से (ke naam se, 'by/under the name of,' used for aliases or addressing), which is a different frame with a different sense.
Sample Sentences:
विकास के नाम पर कई गाँव उजाड़ दिए गए।
Many villages were destroyed in the name of development.
(vikaas ke naam par kaii gaanv ujaad die gae।)
धर्म के नाम पर लोगों को बाँटना आसान है।
It's easy to divide people in the name of religion.
(dharm ke naam par logon ko baantnaa aasaan hai।)
सुरक्षा के नाम पर सरकार ने कई पाबंदियाँ लगा दीं।
The government imposed many restrictions under the pretext of security.
(surakshaa ke naam par sarkaar ne kaii paabandiyaan lagaa diin।)
वह हमेशा मदद के नाम पर पैसे माँगता रहता है।
He always keeps asking for money in the name of help.
(vah hameshaa madad ke naam par paise maangtaa rahtaa hai।)
अगर कोई प्यार के नाम पर तुम्हें धोखा दे, तो सावधान रहना।
If someone cheats you in the name of love, be careful.
(agar koii pyaar ke naam par tumhen dhokhaa de, to saavdhaan rahnaa।)
धर्म के नाम पर हिंसा मत फैलाओ।
Don't spread violence in the name of religion.
(dharm ke naam par hinsaa mat phailaao।)
अगर सरकार सुधार के नाम पर सिर्फ दिखावा करती, तो जनता कभी भरोसा नहीं करती।
If the government only put on a show in the name of reform, the public would never trust it.
(agar sarkaar sudhaar ke naam par sirph dikhaavaa kartii, to jantaa kabhii bharosaa nahiin kartii।)
उस कंपनी पर आरोप है कि वह पर्यावरण के नाम पर सिर्फ विज्ञापन कर रही है।
That company is accused of only doing advertising in the name of the environment.
(us kampnii par aarop hai ki vah paryaavran ke naam par sirph vigyaapan kar rahii hai।)
परंपरा के नाम पर स्त्रियों पर न जाने कितने प्रतिबंध थोपे गए हैं।
Who knows how many restrictions have been imposed on women in the name of tradition.
(parampraa ke naam par striyon par n jaane kitne pratibandh thope gae hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
नाम
(naam)
(sg.m.oblique):
नाम
(naam)
(pl.m.direct):
नाम
(naam)
(pl.m.oblique):
नामों
(naamon)