नाच (naach)

noun The noun form meaning 'dance/dancing' as an activity or performance, related to the verb नाचना (naachnaa, 'to dance').
Sense 1 : dance, dancing (as an activity or performance)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: नृत्य (nrity, formal), नाच-गाना (naach-gaanaa, 'dancing and singing', informal composite)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: नाच (naach) is the word you'll hear at a wedding or a village fair -- सगाई में बहुत नाच हुआ (sagaaii men bahut naach huaa, 'there was a lot of dancing at the engagement') -- while नृत्य (nrity) belongs to the stage, the classical repertoire (कथक, भरतनाट्यम), or a textbook. The verb नाचना (naachnaa) is its natural partner and probably more useful to a learner day to day.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for नृत्य (nrity) by default because it's the word taught in classrooms, but नाच (naach) is what people actually say in casual speech -- नृत्य (nrity) sounds bookish or ceremonial (a dance recital, a classical performance) compared to the everyday नाच (naach). 2) नाच (naach) is masculine, so pair it with masculine agreement: अच्छा नाच (achchhaa naach, 'good dance'), not अच्छी।
Sample Sentences:
शादी में बहुत नाच हुआ। There was a lot of dancing at the wedding.
(shaadii men bahut naach huaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेले में नाच देखने के लिए बहुत भीड़ जमा हो गई। A huge crowd gathered to watch the dance at the fair.
(mele men naach dekhne ke lie bahut bhiid jamaa ho gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गाँव के नाच में औरतें रात भर गाती-नाचती रहती हैं। At the village dance, the women keep singing and dancing all night long.
(gaanv ke naach men aurten raat bhar gaatii-naachtii rahtii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर हॉल बड़ा होता, तो सगाई में और भी नाच होता। If the hall had been bigger, there would have been even more dancing at the engagement.
(agar hol badaa hotaa, to sagaaii men aur bhii naach hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
आज रात की पार्टी में जमकर नाच होगा। There's going to be some serious dancing at tonight's party.
(aaj raat kii paartii men jamkar naach hogaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
यह मत सोचो कि नाच सिर्फ जवानों के लिए है। Don't think that dancing is only for young people.
(yah mat socho ki naach sirph javaanon ke lie hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि इस बार शादी में नाच थोड़ा जल्दी शुरू हो जाए। Hopefully the dancing at the wedding this time starts a bit earlier.
(ummiid hai ki is baar shaadii men naach thodaa jaldii shuroo ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बारात के आगे-आगे ढोल की थाप पर नाच चल रहा था। The dancing was going on to the beat of the drum in front of the wedding procession.
(baaraat ke aage-aage dhol kii thaap par naach chal rahaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेले में हर साल एक अलग तरह का नाच आयोजित किया जाता है। A different kind of dance is organized at the fair every year.
(mele men har saal ek alag tarah kaa naach aayojit kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
छत पर वह नाच रात भर चलता रहा। That dance on the terrace kept going all night.
(chhat par vah naach raat bhar chaltaa rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): नाच (naach)
(sg.m.oblique): नाच (naach)
(pl.m.direct): नाच (naach)
(pl.m.oblique): नाचों (naachon)