जलवायु (jalvaayu)

noun A single-sense compound noun meaning 'climate', built from जल (jal, water) plus वायु (vaayu, air/wind) -- literally 'water-air'.
Sense 1 : climate
noun, feminine
Synonyms: मौसम (mausam, often used loosely for 'weather' but sometimes overlaps with 'climate' in casual speech)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a classic Sanskrit-derived compound you will meet constantly in school geography textbooks and news reports about climate change, जलवायु परिवर्तन (jalvaayu parivartan, 'climate change'). It has a formal, textbook feel compared to the everyday मौसम (mausam), so you will hear it more on the news than at the dinner table.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use जलवायु (jalvaayu) interchangeably with मौसम (mausam), but जलवायु (jalvaayu) refers to the long-term climate of a region (e.g., 'tropical climate'), while मौसम (mausam) means the day-to-day weather. Saying आज का जलवायु (aaj kaa jalvaayu, 'today's climate') sounds odd to a native speaker -- you would say आज का मौसम (aaj kaa mausam, 'today's weather') instead.
Sample Sentences:
भारत की जलवायु बहुत विविध है। India's climate is very diverse.
(bhaarat kii jalvaayu bahut vividh hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जलवायु परिवर्तन आज दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी समस्याओं में से एक है। Climate change is one of the biggest problems in the world today.
(jalvaayu parivartan aaj duniyaa kii sabse badii samasyaaon men se ek hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले कुछ दशकों में यहाँ की जलवायु काफी बदल गई है। The climate here has changed quite a bit in the last few decades.
(pichhle kuchh dashkon men yahaan kii jalvaayu kaaphii badal gaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वैज्ञानिक जलवायु में हो रहे बदलावों का अध्ययन कर रहे हैं। Scientists are studying the changes taking place in the climate.
(vaigyaanik jalvaayu men ho rahe badlaavon kaa adhyyan kar rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यदि जलवायु ऐसे ही बिगड़ती रही, तो कई द्वीप डूब जाएँगे। If the climate keeps deteriorating like this, many islands will be submerged.
(yadi jalvaayu aise hii bigadtii rahii, to kaii dviip doob jaaenge।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर हम पहले ही सतर्क होते, तो जलवायु इतनी नहीं बदलती। If we had been alert earlier, the climate wouldn't have changed so much.
(agar ham pahle hii satark hote, to jalvaayu itnii nahiin badaltii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
जलवायु को बचाने के लिए हमें अभी से कदम उठाने चाहिए। We should take steps from now on to save the climate.
(jalvaayu ko bachaane ke lie hamen abhii se kadam uthaane chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस रिपोर्ट में जलवायु संबंधी आंकड़ों का विस्तार से विश्लेषण किया गया है। In this report, climate-related data has been analyzed in detail.
(is riport men jalvaayu sambandhii aankdon kaa vistaar se vishleshan kiyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पहाड़ी इलाकों की जलवायु मैदानों से बिलकुल अलग होती है। The climate of hilly areas is completely different from the plains.
(pahaadii ilaakon kii jalvaayu maidaanon se bilkul alag hotii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सरकार ने जलवायु परिवर्तन पर एक नई नीति बनाई है। The government has made a new policy on climate change.
(sarkaar ne jalvaayu parivartan par ek naii niiti banaaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): जलवायु (jalvaayu)
(sg.f.oblique): जलवायु (jalvaayu)
(pl.f.direct): जलवायुएँ (jalvaayuen)
(pl.f.oblique): जलवायुओं (jalvaayuon)