सफलता (saphaltaa)

noun A single-sense abstract noun meaning 'success'; related to the adjective सफल (saphal, 'successful').
Sense 1 : success, accomplishment
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कामयाबी (kaamyaabii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around exam season and in motivational contexts -- teachers, parents, and TV anchors alike reach for सफलता (saphaltaa) when talking about exam results, career milestones, or sports wins. It pairs naturally with असफलता (asphaltaa, 'failure'), and Hindi speakers love proverbs and shers contrasting the two, framing success and failure as two sides of effort (मेहनत, mehnat).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कामयाबी (kaamyaabii) as the everyday word in speech and सफलता (saphaltaa) as the word they meet more in writing, school contexts, and formal speeches -- both are correct and interchangeable, but सफलता (saphaltaa) tends to sound a shade more formal in casual conversation. 2) The verb usually paired with this word is मिलना (milnaa) or प्राप्त होना (praapt honaa) -- 'success comes to someone' -- rather than a verb meaning 'to get' with a direct subject; the person who succeeds is marked with को (ko), e.g. उसे सफलता मिली (use saphaltaa milii, 'he got success'), not उसने सफलता ली।
Sample Sentences:
मेहनत करोगे तो सफलता ज़रूर मिलेगी। If you work hard, you will definitely get success.
(mehnat karoge to saphaltaa zaroor milegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसे परीक्षा में बहुत बड़ी सफलता मिली। He got great success in the exam.
(use pariikshaa men bahut badii saphaltaa milii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
आपकी सफलता के लिए ढेर सारी शुभकामनाएँ! Lots of good wishes for your success!
(aapkii saphaltaa ke lie dher saarii shubhkaamnaaen!)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम रोज़ अभ्यास करते तो सफलता तुम्हारे कदम चूमती। If you practiced every day, success would kiss your feet.
(agar tum roz abhyaas karte to saphaltaa tumhaare kadam choomtii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
टीचर हमेशा कहती हैं कि सफलता और असफलता मेहनत के दो पहलू हैं। The teacher always says that success and failure are two sides of hard work.
(tiichar hameshaa kahtii hain ki saphaltaa aur asphaltaa mehnat ke do pahloo hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस साल की सफलता का श्रेय पूरी टीम को जाता है। The credit for this year's success goes to the whole team.
(is saal kii saphaltaa kaa shrey poorii tiim ko jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें यकीन है कि यह प्रोजेक्ट सफलता तक पहुँचेगा? Are you sure this project will reach success?
(kyaa tumhen yakiin hai ki yah projekt saphaltaa tak pahunchegaa?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
बड़ी सफलता पाने के लिए छोटी असफलताओं से मत डरो। Don't be afraid of small failures in order to achieve great success.
(badii saphaltaa paane ke lie chhotii asphaltaaon se mat daro।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसकी सफलता की कहानी हर न्यूज़ चैनल पर दिखाई जा रही है। His success story is being shown on every news channel.
(uskii saphaltaa kii kahaanii har nyooz chainal par dikhaaii jaa rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सफलता एक दिन में नहीं मिलती, इसके पीछे बरसों की मेहनत होती है। Success doesn't come in a day; there are years of hard work behind it.
(saphaltaa ek din men nahiin miltii, iske piichhe barson kii mehnat hotii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे भी उतनी जल्दी सफलता मिल जाती। I wish I too had gotten success that quickly.
(kaash mujhe bhii utnii jaldii saphaltaa mil jaatii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): सफलता (saphaltaa)
(sg.f.oblique): सफलता (saphaltaa)
(pl.f.direct): सफलताएँ (saphaltaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): सफलताओं (saphaltaaon)