शीत-लहर (shiit-lahar)

noun A compound noun meaning 'cold wave' -- the meteorological phenomenon of a sharp cold spell, most often heard in winter weather reports and news.
Sense 1 : cold wave (meteorological)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: शीत लहर (shiit lahar, variant form, without hyphen), कोल्ड वेव (kold vev, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the standard word you will hear every winter on Delhi news channels and weather apps when temperatures drop sharply, often paired with warnings like शीत-लहर का प्रकोप (shiit-lahar kaa prakop, 'the onslaught of the cold wave'). It is built from शीत (shiit, 'cold') plus लहर (lahar, 'wave'), the same लहर (lahar) you see in गर्मी की लहर (garmii kii lahar, 'heat wave').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this as two separate words in a sentence; it functions as a single compound noun and takes singular agreement, e.g. शीत-लहर आई है (shiit-lahar aaii hai, 'a cold wave has come') -- not शीत-लहर आए हैं (shiit-lahar aae hain).
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली में इस हफ्ते शीत-लहर चल रही है। A cold wave is running through Delhi this week.
(dillii men is haphte shiit-lahar chal rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मौसम विभाग ने उत्तर भारत में शीत-लहर की चेतावनी जारी की है। The meteorological department has issued a cold wave warning for North India.
(mausam vibhaag ne uttar bhaarat men shiit-lahar kii chetaavnii jaarii kii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल शीत-लहर के प्रकोप से कई लोगों की मौत हो गई थी। Last year many people died from the onslaught of the cold wave.
(pichhle saal shiit-lahar ke prakop se kaii logon kii maut ho gaii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर शीत-लहर और तेज़ हुई, तो स्कूल बंद कर दिए जाएँगे। If the cold wave intensifies further, schools will be shut down.
(agar shiit-lahar aur tez huii, to skool band kar die jaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
अगर पहले से चेतावनी मिल जाती, तो लोग शीत-लहर के लिए तैयार रहते। If the warning had come earlier, people would have been prepared for the cold wave.
(agar pahle se chetaavnii mil jaatii, to log shiit-lahar ke lie taiyaar rahte।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शीत-लहर के दौरान बेघर लोगों का खास ख्याल रखिए। Take special care of homeless people during the cold wave.
(shiit-lahar ke dauraan beghar logon kaa khaas khyaal rakhie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
हर जनवरी में पंजाब और हरियाणा में शीत-लहर चलती है। A cold wave sweeps through Punjab and Haryana every January.
(har janavrii men panjaab aur hariyaanaa men shiit-lahar chaltii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद इस साल शीत-लहर उतनी भयंकर न हो। Perhaps the cold wave won't be as severe this year.
(shaayad is saal shiit-lahar utnii bhayankar n ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पहाड़ों से आने वाली बर्फीली हवाओं के कारण मैदानी इलाकों में शीत-लहर आ गई है। Because of the icy winds coming from the mountains, a cold wave has hit the plains.
(pahaadon se aane vaalii barphiilii havaaon ke kaaran maidaanii ilaakon men shiit-lahar aa gaii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): शीत-लहर ([[शीत-लहर]])
(sg.f.oblique): शीत-लहर ([[शीत-लहर]])
(pl.f.direct): शीत-लहरें ([[शीत-लहरें]])
(pl.f.oblique): शीत-लहरों ([[शीत-लहरों]])