यादगार (yaadgaar)

adjective/noun Primarily an adjective meaning 'memorable', with a related noun sense meaning 'memento, keepsake, memorial'.
Sense 1 : memorable, unforgettable
adjective
Synonyms: अविस्मरणीय (avismarniiy, formal), अनोखा (anokhaa, meaning scope: unique rather than memorable)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around weddings, trips, and reunions -- यह दिन यादगार रहेगा (yah din yaadgaar rahegaa, 'this day will remain memorable') is the kind of line a host says while thanking guests. It carries a warm, slightly sentimental tone, the sort of word that shows up in speeches and photo captions.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use यादगार (yaadgaar) for anything merely 'good' or 'nice'; it specifically implies an event or occasion that stays in memory, often tied to शादी (shaadii, 'wedding'), यात्रा (yaatraa, 'trip'), or दिन (din, 'day') -- ordinary good experiences are better called अच्छा (achchhaa) or मज़ेदार (mazedaar).
Sample Sentences:
हमारी शादी बहुत यादगार थी। Our wedding was very memorable.
(hamaarii shaadii bahut yaadgaar thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह दिन हमेशा यादगार रहेगा। This day will always remain memorable.
(yah din hameshaa yaadgaar rahegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
आइए, इस पल को यादगार बनाते हैं। Come, let's make this moment memorable.
(aaie, is pal ko yaadgaar banaate hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमारी गोवा वाली ट्रिप सच में यादगार थी। Our Goa trip was truly memorable.
(hamaarii govaa vaalii trip sach men yaadgaar thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस समारोह को यादगार बनाने के लिए सब कुछ ठीक से प्लान किया जा रहा है। Everything is being planned properly to make this ceremony memorable.
(is samaaroh ko yaadgaar banaane ke lie sab kuchh thiik se plaan kiyaa jaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर वो कॉन्सर्ट कैंसिल न होता, तो शाम और यादगार होती। If that concert hadn't gotten cancelled, the evening would have been even more memorable.
(agar vo konsart kainsil n hotaa, to shaam aur yaadgaar hotii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस मौके को यादगार बनाइए, दोबारा नहीं आएगा। Make this occasion memorable, it won't come again.
(is mauke ko yaadgaar banaaie, dobaaraa nahiin aaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
आपके साथ बिताए वो पल आज भी यादगार लगते हैं। Those moments spent with you still feel memorable today.
(aapke saath bitaae vo pal aaj bhii yaadgaar lagte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमारा यह सफर एक यादगार अनुभव साबित हुआ। This journey of ours turned out to be a memorable experience.
(hamaaraa yah saphar ek yaadgaar anubhav saabit huaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह पार्टी इतनी यादगार होगी। I don't think this party will be all that memorable.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki yah paartii itnii yaadgaar hogii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
आज की शाम आपके स्वागत से यादगार बन गई। Tonight became memorable because of your welcome.
(aaj kii shaam aapke svaagat se yaadgaar ban gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : memento, keepsake, souvenir; memorial
noun, feminine Used with रखना (rakhnaa, 'to keep') or बनाना (banaanaa, 'to make') for a physical object kept as a memento; also used for a public memorial or monument to a person.
Synonyms: निशानी (nishaanii), स्मृति चिन्ह (smriti chinh, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A grandmother might hand down a piece of jewelry as उसकी यादगार (uskii yaadgaar, 'a memento of her'); the same word also names public memorials, like a शहीद यादगार (shahiid yaadgaar, 'martyrs' memorial') you might see near a cantonment or town square.
Common Mistakes: 1) As a noun it takes feminine agreement -- यह यादगार है (yah yaadgaar hai) treats it as feminine, unlike its adjectival use which is invariant with the noun it modifies.
Sample Sentences:
यह अंगूठी मेरी दादी की यादगार है। This ring is a keepsake from my grandmother.
(yah angoothii merii daadii kii yaadgaar hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपने पिता की घड़ी को यादगार के तौर पर रख लिया। He kept his father's watch as a memento.
(usne apne pitaa kii ghadii ko yaadgaar ke taur par rakh liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शहर के बीच में एक शहीद यादगार बनी हुई है। There is a martyrs' memorial standing in the middle of the city.
(shahar ke biich men ek shahiid yaadgaar banii huii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह तस्वीर हमारी पहली मुलाकात की यादगार है। This photo is a memento of our first meeting.
(yah tasviir hamaarii pahlii mulaakaat kii yaadgaar hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
छावनी के पास एक पुरानी यादगार बनाई गई थी। An old memorial had been built near the cantonment.
(chhaavnii ke paas ek puraanii yaadgaar banaaii gaii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
कृपया विदेश से कोई छोटी यादगार ले आना। Please bring back a small souvenir from abroad.
(kripyaa videsh se koii chhotii yaadgaar le aanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह मुझे कोई यादगार देती, तो मैं उसे हमेशा संभाल कर रखता। If she had given me some keepsake, I would have always kept it safe.
(agar vah mujhe koii yaadgaar detii, to main use hameshaa sambhaal kar rakhtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर साल यहाँ शहीदों की यादगार पर मेला लगता है। Every year a fair is held here at the martyrs' memorial.
(har saal yahaan shahiidon kii yaadgaar par melaa lagtaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे लगता है कि यह पत्र उसकी सबसे प्यारी यादगार रहा होगा। I think this letter must have been her most cherished keepsake.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki yah patr uskii sabse pyaarii yaadgaar rahaa hogaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
नानी ने जाते-जाते अपनी यादगार मेरे हाथ में थमा दी। As she was leaving, grandmother placed her keepsake in my hand.
(naanii ne jaate-jaate apnii yaadgaar mere haath men thamaa dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: यादगार (yaadgaar)
Noun
(sg.f.direct): यादगार (yaadgaar)
(sg.f.oblique): यादगार (yaadgaar)
(pl.f.direct): यादगारें (yaadgaaren)
(pl.f.oblique): यादगारों (yaadgaaron)