साल (saal)

noun साल (saal) most commonly means 'year' -- a basic time-unit noun you'll use constantly for ages, dates, and durations.
Sense 1 : year
noun, masculine
Synonyms: वर्ष (varsh, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear साल (saal) everywhere -- asking someone's age (कितने साल के हो? (kitne saal ke ho?, 'how many years old are you?')), talking about how long someone's lived somewhere, or wishing नया साल मुबारक हो (nayaa saal mubaarak ho, 'happy new year') at Diwali or January 1st alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) साल (saal) does not change form for plural when preceded by a number -- दो साल (do saal, 'two years'), not दो सालों (do saalon). 2) Learners often reach for वर्ष (varsh) by default from textbooks, but साल (saal) is what people actually say in daily speech; वर्ष (varsh) sounds more like news broadcasts or formal writing.
Sample Sentences:
इस साल बहुत गर्मी पड़ रही है। It's very hot this year.
(is saal bahut garmii pad rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
तुम कितने साल के हो? How many years old are you?
(tum kitne saal ke ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हम पिछले पाँच साल से यहाँ रह रहे हैं। We have been living here for the last five years.
(ham pichhle paanch saal se yahaan rah rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल हमने गोवा की यात्रा की थी। Last year we took a trip to Goa.
(pichhle saal hamne govaa kii yaatraa kii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगले साल मेरी बहन की शादी है। My sister's wedding is next year.
(agle saal merii bahan kii shaadii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नया साल मुबारक हो! Happy new year!
(nayaa saal mubaarak ho!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे एक साल की छुट्टी मिलती, तो मैं दुनिया घूमता। If I got a year off, I would travel the world.
(agar mujhe ek saal kii chhuttii miltii, to main duniyaa ghoomtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर साल दिवाली पर पूरा परिवार इकट्ठा होता है। Every year the whole family gathers on Diwali.
(har saal divaalii par pooraa parivaar ikatthaa hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया आवेदन पत्र में अपना जन्म का साल लिखें। Please write your year of birth on the application form.
(kripyaa aavedan patr men apnaa janm kaa saal likhen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इस परियोजना को पूरा होने में दो साल लगेंगे। This project will take two years to complete.
(is pariyojnaa ko pooraa hone men do saal lagenge।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उस पुराने मंदिर को बने सौ साल से ज़्यादा हो चुके हैं। It has already been more than a hundred years since that old temple was built.
(us puraane mandir ko bane sau saal se zyaadaa ho chuke hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): साल (saal)
(sg.m.oblique): साल (saal)
(pl.m.direct): साल (saal)
(pl.m.oblique): सालों (saalon)