पद (pad)
noun
पद (pad) covers a cluster of related senses: a position or post (job/rank), a foot/step (mostly in compounds and formal registers), and a verse/stanza (especially in devotional poetry).
Sense
1
:
post, position, rank (job/office)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: ओहदा (ohdaa), पदवी (padvii, somewhat formal), मुक़ाम (muqaam, rare in this exact sense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense you will meet constantly in job ads, government notices, and office contexts: पद के लिए आवेदन (pad ke lie aavedan, 'application for the post') is a very common phrase. It is the everyday word for 'post' or 'position' in bureaucratic and professional Hindi, right alongside its more colloquial cousin नौकरी (naukrii, 'job').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse पद (pad) with पत्र (patr, 'letter/document') because they look similar in writing -- they are unrelated. 2) पद (pad) refers to the position/office itself, not the person holding it; for the person, use words like अधिकारी (adhikaarii, 'officer') or the specific title.
Sample Sentences:
इस पद के लिए बहुत आवेदन आए हैं।
Many applications have come in for this post.
(is pad ke lie bahut aavedan aae hain।)
वह कंपनी में एक बड़े पद पर काम करती है।
She works at a senior post in the company.
(vah kampnii men ek bade pad par kaam kartii hai।)
कृपया पद के लिए आवेदन कल तक भेज दें।
Please send your application for the post by tomorrow.
(kripyaa pad ke lie aavedan kal tak bhej den।)
उसे मैनेजर के पद से हटा दिया गया।
He was removed from the post of manager.
(use mainejar ke pad se hataa diyaa gayaa।)
अगर मुझे वह पद मिलता, तो मैं दिल्ली शिफ्ट हो जाता।
If I had gotten that post, I would have shifted to Delhi.
(agar mujhe vah pad miltaa, to main dillii shipht ho jaataa।)
सरकार ने कई नए पद बनाए हैं।
The government has created several new posts.
(sarkaar ne kaii nae pad banaae hain।)
शायद उसे अगले महीने कोई बेहतर पद मिल जाए।
Maybe he'll get a better post next month.
(shaayad use agle mahiine koii behtar pad mil jaae।)
इस पद की जिम्मेदारियाँ बहुत बड़ी हैं।
The responsibilities of this post are very great.
(is pad kii jimmedaariyaan bahut badii hain।)
वह पद पाने के लिए दिन-रात मेहनत कर रहा था।
He was working day and night to get that post.
(vah pad paane ke lie din-raat mehnat kar rahaa thaa।)
इस पद के लिए न्यूनतम पाँच साल का अनुभव चाहिए।
A minimum of five years' experience is required for this post.
(is pad ke lie nyoontam paanch saal kaa anubhav chaahie।)
उन्हें प्रधानाचार्य के पद पर नियुक्त किया गया।
He was appointed to the post of principal.
(unhen pradhaanaachaary ke pad par niyukt kiyaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
verse, stanza (especially devotional poetry/song)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: श्लोक (shlok, usually Sanskrit religious verse), दोहा (dohaa, a specific two-line verse form), छंद (chhand)
Frequency: devotional
Cultural Note: This is the word you meet in the context of bhakti poetry -- collections of Surdas's or Meera's devotional songs are described as पद (pad) or grouped into 'पदावली' (padaavlii, 'a string of verses'). It carries a devotional, musical flavor distinct from the more secular कविता (kavitaa, 'poem').
Sample Sentences:
सूरदास ने कृष्ण की लीलाओं पर हजारों पद लिखे।
Surdas wrote thousands of verses on Krishna's divine plays.
(soordaas ne krishn kii liilaaon par hajaaron pad likhe।)
मीरा के पद आज भी भक्ति भाव से गाए जाते हैं।
Meera's verses are still sung with devotional feeling today.
(miiraa ke pad aaj bhii bhakti bhaav se gaae jaate hain।)
यह पद राधा के विरह का वर्णन करता है।
This verse describes Radha's pangs of separation.
(yah pad raadhaa ke virah kaa varnan kartaa hai।)
क्या आप यह पद हमें गाकर सुनाएँगे?
Will you sing this verse for us?
(kyaa aap yah pad hamen gaakar sunaaenge?)
कीर्तन में वही पुराना पद गाओ जो सबको पसंद है।
Sing that same old verse in the kirtan that everyone loves.
(kiirtan men vahii puraanaa pad gaao jo sabko pasand hai।)
अगर यह पद खो जाता, तो उसका संगीत भी हमेशा के लिए लुप्त हो जाता।
If this verse had been lost, its music too would have vanished forever.
(agar yah pad kho jaataa, to uskaa sangiit bhii hameshaa ke lie lupt ho jaataa।)
गुरुजी चाहते हैं कि हम यह पद कंठस्थ कर लें।
The teacher wants us to memorize this verse.
(gurujii chaahte hain ki ham yah pad kanthasth kar len।)
मंदिर में पुजारी हर शाम एक पद गा रहे थे।
The priest was singing a verse every evening at the temple.
(mandir men pujaarii har shaam ek pad gaa rahe the।)
इस ग्रंथ में तुलसीदास के भी कुछ पद संकलित हैं।
Some verses of Tulsidas have also been compiled in this text.
(is granth men tulsiidaas ke bhii kuchh pad sanklit hain।)
Sense
3
:
foot, step (formal/literary; mostly in compounds)
noun, masculine This sense survives mainly inside compounds and set phrases (like पदचिह्न (padchihn, 'footprint')) rather than as a standalone word in casual speech.
Synonyms: पैर (pair), कदम (kadam)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: You will meet this sense tucked inside compound words rather than standing on its own -- पदचिह्न (padchihn, 'footprint') and अनुपद (anupad) are the kind of places it survives. On its own, it has largely been replaced by पैर (pair) in daily talk.
Common Mistakes: 1) In everyday conversation, learners should reach for पैर (pair) or कदम (kadam) for 'foot/step' -- पद (pad) alone sounds old-fashioned or bookish in this sense.
Sample Sentences:
साधु के पदचिह्न रेत पर स्पष्ट दिखाई दे रहे थे।
The sage's footprints were clearly visible on the sand.
(saadhu ke padchihn ret par spasht dikhaaii de rahe the।)
कवि ने महात्मा के पदचिह्नों पर चलने की प्रतिज्ञा की।
The poet vowed to walk in the footsteps of the great soul.
(kavi ne mahaatmaa ke padchihnon par chalne kii pratigyaa kii।)
गुरु के पद-चिह्नों का अनुसरण करना ही सच्ची भक्ति है।
To follow in the footsteps of the guru is true devotion.
(guru ke pad-chihnon kaa anusran karnaa hii sachchii bhakti hai।)
हे प्रभु, मुझे अपने पदचिह्नों पर चलने की शक्ति दो।
O Lord, give me the strength to walk in your footsteps.
(he prabhu, mujhe apne padchihnon par chalne kii shakti do।)
यदि मैं उनके पदचिह्नों पर चलता, तो जीवन सार्थक होता।
If I had walked in their footsteps, life would have been meaningful.
(yadi main unke padchihnon par chaltaa, to jiivan saarthak hotaa।)
अनुपद उसकी वाणी में एक विशेष लय उत्पन्न करता है।
The stepwise repetition creates a special rhythm in his speech.
(anupad uskii vaanii men ek vishesh lay utpann kartaa hai।)
बर्फ पर पड़े पदचिह्न बता रहे थे कि यात्री किस दिशा में गया।
The footprints left in the snow indicated which direction the traveler had gone.
(barph par pade padchihn bataa rahe the ki yaatrii kis dishaa men gayaa।)
शायद उसके पदचिह्न ही उसके अस्तित्व का एकमात्र प्रमाण बचे हों।
Perhaps his footprints alone remain as the only proof of his existence.
(shaayad uske padchihn hii uske astitv kaa ekmaatr pramaan bache hon।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पद
(pad)
(sg.m.oblique):
पद
(pad)
(pl.m.direct):
पद
(pad)
(pl.m.oblique):
पदों
(padon)