ख़ुशबू (khushboo)

noun A single-sense everyday noun meaning 'fragrance' or 'pleasant smell'; also commonly spelled without the nuqta as खुशबू (khushboo).
Sense 1 : fragrance, pleasant smell
noun, feminine
Synonyms: सुगंध (sugandh), महक (mahak), खुशबू (khushboo, variant form without nuqta)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word shows up constantly in Hindi film songs and poetry to describe a lover's presence or a memory lingering in the air, e.g. फूलों की ख़ुशबू (phoolon kii khushboo, 'the fragrance of flowers'). It pairs naturally with आना (aanaa) -- ख़ुशबू आना (khushboo aanaa) literally 'fragrance to come/arrive' -- following Hindi's pattern of treating sensory experiences as things that come to you rather than things you actively detect.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use ख़ुशबू (khushboo) for any smell, but it specifically implies a pleasant one; a bad smell is बदबू (badboo), never ख़ुशबू (khushboo). 2) The ख़ (with nuqta) reflects the word's Persian origin; dropping the nuqta to खुशबू (khushboo) is extremely common in casual writing and both are accepted.
Sample Sentences:
इस बगीचे में फूलों की ख़ुशबू फैली हुई है। The fragrance of flowers is spread throughout this garden.
(is bagiiche men phoolon kii khushboo phailii huii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कमरे से किसी अजीब चीज़ की ख़ुशबू आ रही है। A strange fragrance is coming from the room.
(kamre se kisii ajiib chiiz kii khushboo aa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसके बालों से हमेशा गुलाब की ख़ुशबू आती है। Rose fragrance always wafts from her hair.
(uske baalon se hameshaa gulaab kii khushboo aatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब वह कमरे में आई, तो उसकी ख़ुशबू पूरे घर में फैल गई। When she entered the room, her fragrance spread through the whole house.
(jab vah kamre men aaii, to uskii khushboo poore ghar men phail gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बारिश के बाद मिट्टी की ख़ुशबू हर जगह फैल जाएगी। After the rain, the fragrance of earth will spread everywhere.
(baarish ke baad mittii kii khushboo har jagah phail jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश इस इत्र में गुलाब की ख़ुशबू होती। If only this perfume had the fragrance of roses.
(kaash is itr men gulaab kii khushboo hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह मोमबत्ती ऐसी ख़ुशबू देती है जो मन को शांत कर देती है। This candle gives off a fragrance that calms the mind.
(yah mombattii aisii khushboo detii hai jo man ko shaant kar detii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी याद आते ही जैसे हवा में उसकी ख़ुशबू घुल जाती है। The moment I remember her, it's as if her fragrance dissolves into the air.
(uskii yaad aate hii jaise havaa men uskii khushboo ghul jaatii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या इस साबुन में चंदन की ख़ुशबू है? Does this soap have a sandalwood fragrance?
(kyaa is saabun men chandan kii khushboo hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया इस कमरे में कोई तेज़ ख़ुशबू मत छिड़कें। Please don't spray any strong fragrance in this room.
(kripyaa is kamre men koii tez khushboo mat chhidken।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
फूलों की ख़ुशबू से पूरा मंदिर महक उठा था। The fragrance of flowers had made the entire temple fragrant.
(phoolon kii khushboo se pooraa mandir mahak uthaa thaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): ख़ुशबू (khushboo)
(sg.f.oblique): ख़ुशबू (khushboo)
(pl.f.direct): ख़ुशबूएँ (khushbooen)
(pl.f.oblique): ख़ुशबूओं (khushbooon)