बाढ़ (baadh)

noun A single-sense everyday noun meaning 'flood', extended figuratively to mean a sudden surge or influx of something.
Sense 1 : flood (rivers overflowing, water inundating land)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: जलप्रलय (jalaprlay, literary, implies a catastrophic deluge), सैलाब (sailaab)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every monsoon, Delhi's news is full of बाढ़ (baadh) reports about the Yamuna overflowing its banks, so this word is one you'll hear constantly from July to September. Note how Hindi treats a flood as something that 'comes' (आना, aanaa) rather than something that 'happens', similar to how rain and sleep are also things that arrive upon you.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse बाढ़ (baadh) with बाड़ (baad, 'fence') -- the retroflex ढ़ versus ड़ sound is the only difference, and mixing them up changes the word entirely. 2) The common verb pairing is बाढ़ आना (baadh aanaa, 'a flood to come/occur') -- learners often try to use होना (honaa) instead, which sounds unnatural here.
Sample Sentences:
हर साल मॉनसून में यमुना में बाढ़ आती है। Every year during the monsoon, the Yamuna floods.
(har saal monsoon men yamunaa men baadh aatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ्ते बिहार के कई गाँवों में बाढ़ आ गई। Last week, floods hit many villages in Bihar.
(pichhle haphte bihaar ke kaii gaanvon men baadh aa gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर लगातार बारिश होती रही, तो नदी में बाढ़ आ जाएगी। If it keeps raining continuously, the river will flood.
(agar lagaataar baarish hotii rahii, to nadii men baadh aa jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
खबरों में दिखाया जा रहा है कि यमुना में बाढ़ का पानी सड़कों तक पहुँच गया है। The news is showing that the Yamuna's floodwater has reached the streets.
(khabron men dikhaayaa jaa rahaa hai ki yamunaa men baadh kaa paanii sadkon tak pahunch gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर वह बाँध टूट जाता, तो पूरे शहर में बाढ़ आ जाती। If that dam had broken, the whole city would have flooded.
(agar vah baandh toot jaataa, to poore shahar men baadh aa jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
बाढ़ आने से पहले ही प्रशासन ने लोगों को सुरक्षित जगहों पर पहुँचा दिया। Even before the flood came, the administration had moved people to safe places.
(baadh aane se pahle hii prashaasan ne logon ko surakshit jagahon par pahunchaa diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह इलाका बाढ़ से बहुत बुरी तरह प्रभावित हुआ है। This area has been very badly affected by the flood.
(yah ilaakaa baadh se bahut burii tarah prabhaavit huaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सरकार ने बाढ़ पीड़ितों के लिए राहत शिविर लगाए हैं। The government has set up relief camps for flood victims.
(sarkaar ne baadh piiditon ke lie raahat shivir lagaae hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाढ़ आते ही सब लोग छतों पर चढ़ गए। As soon as the flood came, everyone climbed onto the rooftops.
(baadh aate hii sab log chhaton par chadh gae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश इस बार बाढ़ इतनी भयानक न होती। I wish the flood hadn't been so terrible this time.
(kaash is baar baadh itnii bhayaanak n hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बाढ़ का पानी उतरने के बाद भी गाँव में कीचड़ फैला रहा। Even after the floodwater receded, mud remained spread across the village.
(baadh kaa paanii utarne ke baad bhii gaanv men kiichad phailaa rahaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : flood, surge, sudden abundance (figurative)
noun, feminine Used in phrases like जज़्बात की बाढ़ (jazbaat kii baadh, 'a flood of emotions') or सामान की बाढ़ (saamaan kii baadh, 'a flood of goods'), pairing बाढ़ with an abstract or countable noun via की (kii).
Synonyms: रेला (relaa, a rush/current, often of people or force), लहर (lahar, wave, used for trends or surges)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just as English speakers say 'a flood of complaints' or 'a surge of emotion', Hindi speakers reach for the same watery metaphor -- बाढ़ (baadh) is a natural way to describe anything overwhelming in quantity or intensity, from tears to traffic to festival shoppers.
Sample Sentences:
त्योहार के मौके पर बाज़ार में ग्राहकों की बाढ़ आ जाती है। During festival season, there is a surge of customers in the market.
(tyohaar ke mauke par baazaar men graahkon kii baadh aa jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी बात सुनकर मेरी आँखों में आँसुओं की बाढ़ आ गई। Hearing what she said, a flood of tears came to my eyes.
(uskii baat sunkar merii aankhon men aansuon kii baadh aa gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
चुनाव नतीजों के बाद सोशल मीडिया पर प्रतिक्रियाओं की बाढ़ आ रही है। After the election results, there is a flood of reactions on social media.
(chunaav natiijon ke baad soshal miidiyaa par pratikriyaaon kii baadh aa rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर यह वीडियो वायरल हो गया, तो शिकायतों की बाढ़ आ जाएगी। If this video goes viral, there will be a flood of complaints.
(agar yah viidiyo vaayral ho gayaa, to shikaayton kii baadh aa jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश उस सेल में इतनी सस्ती चीज़ों की बाढ़ न आती, तो लोग इतना पैसा न उड़ाते। If only there hadn't been such a flood of cheap goods in that sale, people wouldn't have blown so much money.
(kaash us sel men itnii sastii chiizon kii baadh n aatii, to log itnaa paisaa n udaate।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ़्ते कंपनी में इस्तीफों की बाढ़ आ गई थी। Last week there was a flood of resignations at the company.
(pichhle hafte kampnii men istiiphon kii baadh aa gaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्रिकेट टीम की जीत के बाद बधाइयों की बाढ़ आ गई। After the cricket team's win, a flood of congratulations poured in.
(kriket tiim kii jiit ke baad badhaaiyon kii baadh aa gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह संभव है कि नई योजना से आवेदनों की बाढ़ आ जाए। It's possible that the new scheme will bring a flood of applications.
(yah sambhav hai ki naii yojnaa se aavednon kii baadh aa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
प्रधानमंत्री की घोषणा से देश में उत्साह की एक बाढ़ सी दौड़ गई। The prime minister's announcement sent a surge of enthusiasm rushing through the country.
(pradhaanmantrii kii ghoshnaa se desh men utsaah kii ek baadh sii daud gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे डर है कि इस खबर से अफवाहों की बाढ़ आ सकती है, इसलिए सावधान रहना। I'm afraid this news could bring a flood of rumors, so be careful.
(mujhe dar hai ki is khabar se aphvaahon kii baadh aa saktii hai, islie saavdhaan rahnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): बाढ़ (baadh)
(sg.f.oblique): बाढ़ (baadh)
(pl.f.direct): बाढ़ें (baadhen)
(pl.f.oblique): बाढ़ों (baadhon)