आत्मा (aatmaa)

noun A single core meaning -- 'soul' or 'self' -- used both in everyday emotional/idiomatic speech and in more philosophical or religious contexts.
Sense 1 : soul, inner self, spirit
noun, feminine
Synonyms: रूह (rooh), जान (jaan, everyday, more 'life-force' than philosophical), जीव (jiiv, the living/embodied self, used in religious contexts)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries real weight in Hindu thought, where the आत्मा (aatmaa) is the eternal self distinct from the body, central to ideas about rebirth and moksha. In everyday speech you will also hear it in phrases like दिल से, आत्मा से (dil se, aatmaa se, 'from the heart, from the soul') to mean total sincerity, and grandparents often invoke it when talking about a person's true character, as in उसकी आत्मा साफ़ है (uskii aatmaa saaf hai, 'his soul/conscience is clean').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for जान (jaan) when they mean the philosophical/religious 'soul' -- जान (jaan) is closer to 'life' or a term of endearment ('my dear'), while आत्मा (aatmaa) is the more serious, reflective word used in talk of death, rebirth, or one's true inner nature. 2) Do not confuse with अात्म- (aatm) used as a prefix in compounds like आत्मविश्वास (aatmvishvaas, 'self-confidence') -- that is the same root but functions as a bound prefix, not the standalone noun.
Sample Sentences:
हिंदू धर्म में माना जाता है कि आत्मा अमर है। In Hinduism it is believed that the soul is immortal.
(hindoo dharm men maanaa jaataa hai ki aatmaa amar hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शरीर नष्ट हो जाता है, पर आत्मा नहीं मरती। The body perishes, but the soul does not die.
(shariir nasht ho jaataa hai, par aatmaa nahiin martii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दादी कहती थीं कि उसकी आत्मा साफ़ है, इसलिए उसे किसी से डर नहीं लगता। Grandma used to say that his soul is clean, so he is not afraid of anyone.
(daadii kahtii thiin ki uskii aatmaa saaf hai, islie use kisii se dar nahiin lagtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने वह वादा दिल से, आत्मा से निभाया। He kept that promise from the heart, from the soul.
(usne vah vaadaa dil se, aatmaa se nibhaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर आत्मा शुद्ध होती, तो मन को यह बेचैनी न होती। If the soul were pure, the mind would not have this restlessness.
(agar aatmaa shuddh hotii, to man ko yah bechainii n hotii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
गुरु जी ने समझाया कि आत्मा और परमात्मा का संबंध कैसा है। The teacher explained what the relationship between the soul and the divine is like.
(guru jii ne samjhaayaa ki aatmaa aur parmaatmaa kaa sambandh kaisaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपनी आत्मा की आवाज़ सुनो, बाकी सब बाद में सोचना। Listen to the voice of your soul, think about everything else later.
(apnii aatmaa kii aavaaz suno, baakii sab baad men sochnaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि मृत्यु के बाद आत्मा कहीं जाती है? Do you think that the soul goes somewhere after death?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki mrityu ke baad aatmaa kahiin jaatii hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश उसकी आत्मा को शांति मिल जाए। I wish his soul would find peace.
(kaash uskii aatmaa ko shaanti mil jaae।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इस पूजा में आत्मा को परमात्मा से जोड़ने की कोशिश की जाती है। In this worship, an attempt is made to connect the soul with the divine.
(is poojaa men aatmaa ko parmaatmaa se jodne kii koshish kii jaatii hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): आत्मा (aatmaa)
(sg.f.oblique): आत्मा (aatmaa)
(pl.f.direct): आत्माएँ (aatmaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): आत्माओं (aatmaaon)