व्रत (vrat)
noun
Mainly a religious/cultural noun meaning a fast or vow undertaken for religious or personal reasons; also used more loosely for any solemn personal resolve.
Sense
1
:
religious fast
noun, masculine
Synonyms: उपवास (upvaas)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Vrat (vrat) is deeply woven into Hindu domestic life -- think of karva chauth (karvaa chauth) or navratri (navraatri) fasts, where women in many North Indian households skip grains or all food for a day as a vow tied to family welfare or devotion. It is less about willpower and more about a sacred promise (the word literally implies a vow), so it carries warmth and reverence rather than austerity alone.
Common Mistakes: 1) व्रत (vrat) is the noun for the observance itself; the common verb pairing is व्रत रखना (vrat rakhnaa, 'to keep a fast') or व्रत करना (vrat karnaa), not व्रत खाना (vrat khaanaa) or similar literal mismatches. 2) Learners sometimes confuse व्रत (vrat) with भूख हड़ताल (bhookh hadtaal, 'hunger strike') -- व्रत (vrat) is devotional/personal, not a protest.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी माँ हर साल करवा चौथ का व्रत रखती हैं।
My mother keeps the karva chauth fast every year.
(merii maan har saal karvaa chauth kaa vrat rakhtii hain।)
इस बार नवरात्रि में उसने पूरे नौ दिन व्रत रखा।
This time during navratri, she kept the fast for all nine days.
(is baar navraatri men usne poore nau din vrat rakhaa।)
वह सुबह से व्रत रखे हुए है और शाम को पूजा के बाद खाएगी।
She has been fasting since morning and will eat in the evening after the prayers.
(vah subah se vrat rakhe hue hai aur shaam ko poojaa ke baad khaaegii।)
कल सोमवती अमावस्या है, इसलिए दादी व्रत रखेंगी।
Tomorrow is somvati amavasya, so grandmother will keep the fast.
(kal somavtii amaavasyaa hai, islie daadii vrat rakhengii।)
अगर तुम बीमार हो तो व्रत मत रखो।
If you are unwell, don't keep the fast.
(agar tum biimaar ho to vrat mat rakho।)
काश मैं भी उनकी तरह पूरे दिन व्रत रख पाती।
I wish I too could keep the fast all day like them.
(kaash main bhii unkii tarah poore din vrat rakh paatii।)
अगर वह ठीक होती तो जरूर व्रत रखती।
If she were well, she would certainly have kept the fast.
(agar vah thiik hotii to jaroor vrat rakhtii।)
व्रत के दिन घर में प्याज-लहसुन नहीं बनाया जाता।
On fasting days, onion and garlic are not cooked at home.
(vrat ke din ghar men pyaaj-lahsun nahiin banaayaa jaataa।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि इतनी सख्त व्रत रखनी चाहिए?
Do you think one should keep such a strict fast?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki itnii sakht vrat rakhnii chaahie?)
व्रत के फल को पवित्र माना जाता है, इसलिए इसे बड़े श्रद्धा से रखा जाता है।
The fruit of the fast is considered sacred, so it is observed with great devotion.
(vrat ke phal ko pavitr maanaa jaataa hai, islie ise bade shraddhaa se rakhaa jaataa hai।)
बहुत सी सुहागिनें अपने पति की लंबी उम्र के लिए व्रत रखती हैं।
Many married women keep the fast for their husband's long life.
(bahut sii suhaaginen apne pati kii lambii umr ke lie vrat rakhtii hain।)
Sense
2
:
vow, solemn resolve
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रतिज्ञा (pratigyaa), संकल्प (sankalp)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Beyond fasting, व्रत (vrat) can describe any solemn personal vow, such as a student's vow of discipline or a devotee's vow of silence (मौन व्रत (maun vrat, 'vow of silence')). This sense overlaps with संकल्प (sankalp) but keeps a more religious or ascetic flavor.
Sample Sentences:
उसने मौन व्रत ले लिया है।
He has taken a vow of silence.
(usne maun vrat le liyaa hai।)
गुरुजी ने अपने शिष्यों को अनुशासन का व्रत लेने को कहा।
The teacher told his students to take a vow of discipline.
(gurujii ne apne shishyon ko anushaasan kaa vrat lene ko kahaa।)
मैं सच बोलने का व्रत लेता हूँ।
I take a vow to always speak the truth.
(main sach bolne kaa vrat letaa hoon।)
साधु ने वर्षों पहले मौन व्रत धारण किया था।
The sage had adopted a vow of silence years ago.
(saadhu ne varshon pahle maun vrat dhaaran kiyaa thaa।)
काश मैं भी ऐसा दृढ़ व्रत ले पाता।
If only I too could take such a firm vow.
(kaash main bhii aisaa dridh vrat le paataa।)
अपना व्रत निभाओ, चाहे कितनी भी मुश्किलें आएँ।
Keep your vow, no matter how many difficulties come.
(apnaa vrat nibhaao, chaahe kitnii bhii mushkilen aaen।)
क्या तुम सच में यह व्रत निभा पाओगे?
Will you really be able to keep this vow?
(kyaa tum sach men yah vrat nibhaa paaoge?)
यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कि वह भटके नहीं, उसने अध्ययन का व्रत लिया।
To make sure he wouldn't lose focus, he took a vow of study.
(yah sunishchit karne ke lie ki vah bhatke nahiin, usne adhyyan kaa vrat liyaa।)
उसका व्रत इतना कठोर था कि वह कई दिनों तक किसी से बात नहीं करता था।
His vow was so strict that he wouldn't speak to anyone for days.
(uskaa vrat itnaa kathor thaa ki vah kaii dinon tak kisii se baat nahiin kartaa thaa।)
यह व्रत उसके गुरु द्वारा उसे दिया गया था।
This vow was given to him by his teacher.
(yah vrat uske guru dvaaraa use diyaa gayaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
व्रत
(vrat)
(sg.m.oblique):
व्रत
(vrat)
(pl.m.direct):
व्रत
(vrat)
(pl.m.oblique):
व्रतों
(vraton)