तालाब (taalaab)

noun A simple, concrete noun meaning 'pond' or 'small lake' -- one sense only.
Sense 1 : pond, small lake
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पोखर (pokhar, smaller/village pond), सरोवर (sarovar, literary/formal), जलाशय (jalaashay, formal, more general 'water body')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Almost every old Indian village or town has a तालाब (taalaab) at its center, used for bathing, washing clothes, watering animals, and community festivals like Chhath Puja or Durga idol immersion. In Delhi-NCR you will still hear older residents refer fondly to a neighborhood's tालाब even after it has dried up or been built over, since it once anchored the local geography and memory.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse तालाब (taalaab) with झील (jhiil, 'lake'); तालाब (taalaab) is smaller and often man-made or village-scale, while झील (jhiil) suggests a larger, natural body of water. 2) समुद्र (samudr, 'ocean/sea') is a completely different scale of thing -- not interchangeable with तालाब (taalaab).
Sample Sentences:
गाँव के बीचोबीच एक बड़ा तालाब है। There is a big pond right in the middle of the village.
(gaanv ke biichobiich ek badaa taalaab hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे रोज़ शाम को तालाब में नहाते थे। The children used to bathe in the pond every evening.
(bachche roz shaam ko taalaab men nahaate the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
औरतें तालाब के किनारे कपड़े धो रही थीं। The women were washing clothes on the bank of the pond.
(aurten taalaab ke kinaare kapde dho rahii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
छठ पूजा के लिए तालाब को फूलों से सजाया गया। The pond was decorated with flowers for Chhath Puja.
(chhath poojaa ke lie taalaab ko phoolon se sajaayaa gayaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर बारिश अच्छी होती तो तालाब कभी न सूखता। If the rain had been good, the pond would never have dried up.
(agar baarish achchhii hotii to taalaab kabhii n sookhtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
तालाब में मत कूदो, पानी बहुत गंदा है। Don't jump into the pond, the water is very dirty.
(taalaab men mat koodo, paanii bahut gandaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
दादी अब भी कहती हैं कि यहाँ पहले एक तालाब था। Grandmother still says that there used to be a pond here.
(daadii ab bhii kahtii hain ki yahaan pahle ek taalaab thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुमकिन है कि नगर निगम तालाब को फिर से बनवा दे। It's possible that the municipal corporation might get the pond rebuilt.
(mumkin hai ki nagar nigam taalaab ko phir se banvaa de।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दुर्गा प्रतिमा को तालाब में विसर्जित किया जाएगा। The Durga idol will be immersed in the pond.
(durgaa pratimaa ko taalaab men visarjit kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
किसान अपने मवेशियों को तालाब पर पानी पिलाने ले जाता है। The farmer takes his cattle to the pond to give them water.
(kisaan apne maveshiyon ko taalaab par paanii pilaane le jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस तालाब के पास खड़ा पुराना पीपल का पेड़ अब भी वैसा ही है। The old peepal tree standing near that pond is still just the same.
(us taalaab ke paas khadaa puraanaa piipal kaa ped ab bhii vaisaa hii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तालाब (taalaab)
(sg.m.oblique): तालाब (taalaab)
(pl.m.direct): तालाब (taalaab)
(pl.m.oblique): तालाबों (taalaabon)