धुआँ (dhuaan)
noun
A concrete everyday noun meaning 'smoke,' with a common figurative extension used for gossip/scandal or vague rumors that 'spread' the way smoke does.
Sense
1
:
smoke (from fire, cooking, exhaust, etc.)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a Delhi winter morning: someone lights a coal sigड़ी (sigdii) or a roadside fire to keep warm, and the धुआँ (dhuaan) stings your eyes before you even see the flame. This is the word you will hear constantly around Diwali firecrackers, tandoors, and the capital's notorious smog conversations.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget the chandrabindu and write धुआ (dhuaa) instead of धुआँ (dhuaan) -- the nasalization is part of the standard spelling. 2) With verbs like निकलना (nikalnaa, 'to emerge') or उठना (uthnaa, 'to rise'), धुआँ (dhuaan) is the subject, not the object -- learners sometimes try to force a transitive frame ('to make smoke') where a native speaker would just say the smoke itself rose or came out.
Sample Sentences:
सिगड़ी से धुआँ निकल रहा है।
Smoke is coming out of the coal stove.
(sigdii se dhuaan nikal rahaa hai।)
दिवाली के बाद पूरे शहर में धुआँ ही धुआँ था।
After Diwali there was nothing but smoke all over the city.
(divaalii ke baad poore shahar men dhuaan hii dhuaan thaa।)
खिड़की बंद कर दो, बाहर से धुआँ अंदर आ रहा है।
Close the window, smoke is coming in from outside.
(khidkii band kar do, baahar se dhuaan andar aa rahaa hai।)
सर्दियों में लोग अलाव जलाते हैं और गली धुएँ से भर जाती है।
In winter people light bonfires and the lane fills up with smoke.
(sardiyon men log alaav jalaate hain aur galii dhuen se bhar jaatii hai।)
तंदूर का धुआँ आँखों में लगता है तो आँसू आ जाते हैं।
When the tandoor's smoke gets in the eyes, tears start coming.
(tandoor kaa dhuaan aankhon men lagtaa hai to aansoo aa jaate hain।)
अगर पुराली न जलाई जाती तो इतना धुआँ न फैलता।
If stubble were not burned, so much smoke would not spread.
(agar puraalii n jalaaii jaatii to itnaa dhuaan n phailtaa।)
गाड़ियों के धुएँ से दिल्ली की हवा जहरीली हो गई है।
Delhi's air has become poisonous because of vehicle exhaust smoke.
(gaadiyon ke dhuen se dillii kii havaa jahriilii ho gaii hai।)
शायद रसोई से धुआँ इसलिए आ रहा हो क्योंकि दाल जल गई है।
Maybe smoke is coming from the kitchen because the lentils have burned.
(shaayad rasoii se dhuaan islie aa rahaa ho kyonki daal jal gaii hai।)
पटाखों का धुआँ छाया हुआ था और साँस लेना मुश्किल हो गया था।
The smoke from firecrackers had settled over everything and breathing had become difficult.
(pataakhon kaa dhuaan chhaayaa huaa thaa aur saans lenaa mushkil ho gayaa thaa।)
आग बुझाई जा चुकी थी, फिर भी हल्का धुआँ उठ रहा था।
The fire had already been put out, yet a thin smoke was still rising.
(aag bujhaaii jaa chukii thii, phir bhii halkaa dhuaan uth rahaa thaa।)
बिना आग के धुआँ नहीं होता।
There's no smoke without fire.
(binaa aag ke dhuaan nahiin hotaa।)
Sense
2
:
rumor, scandal, talk that spreads without confirmed substance
noun, masculine Almost always appears in the set phrase धुआँ उठना (dhuaan uthnaa, 'for talk/rumor to arise') or धुआँ फैलना (dhuaan phailnaa, 'for talk to spread'), echoing the literal image of smoke rising and spreading.
Synonyms: अफ़वाह (afvaah, more common word for 'rumor')
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: There is an old saying, 'जहाँ आग होती है वहीं धुआँ उठता है' (jahaan aag hotii hai vahiin dhuaan uthtaa hai, 'where there is fire, smoke rises there too') -- the Hindi version of 'there's no smoke without fire,' used when gossip is suspected to have some truth behind it.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is only used for spreading talk or scandal, not for smoke-related idioms about anger or trouble -- do not confuse it with idioms built on आग (aag, 'fire'), which cover a different figurative range (temper, danger).
Sample Sentences:
उनके तलाक़ की बात तो बस धुआँ है, अभी कुछ पक्का नहीं है।
The talk of their divorce is just rumor for now, nothing is confirmed yet.
(unke talaaq kii baat to bas dhuaan hai, abhii kuchh pakkaa nahiin hai।)
जहाँ आग होती है वहीं धुआँ उठता है, यूँ ही कोई इल्ज़ाम नहीं लगाता।
Where there's fire, there's smoke -- no one levels an accusation like that for nothing.
(jahaan aag hotii hai vahiin dhuaan uthtaa hai, yoon hii koii ilzaam nahiin lagaataa।)
दफ़्तर में उसके इस्तीफ़े का धुआँ पूरे हफ़्ते उठता रहा।
The rumor of his resignation kept swirling around the office all week.
(daftar men uske istiife kaa dhuaan poore hafte uthtaa rahaa।)
बिना किसी सबूत के धुआँ मत फैलाओ, बाद में पछताओगे।
Don't spread rumors without any proof, you'll regret it later.
(binaa kisii saboot ke dhuaan mat phailaao, baad men pachhtaaoge।)
अगर यह सच में सिर्फ़ धुआँ होता तो इतने लोग इस पर बात न करते।
If this were really just a rumor, so many people wouldn't be talking about it.
(agar yah sach men sirf dhuaan hotaa to itne log is par baat n karte।)
मुहल्ले में उनके झगड़े का धुआँ फैल गया है।
Rumors of their quarrel have spread through the neighborhood.
(muhalle men unke jhagde kaa dhuaan phail gayaa hai।)
हो सकता है यह सिर्फ़ धुआँ हो, कुछ ठोस निकले ही न।
It might just be a rumor -- maybe nothing solid will come of it at all.
(ho saktaa hai yah sirf dhuaan ho, kuchh thos nikle hii n।)
उस नेता के भ्रष्टाचार का धुआँ अब चैनलों तक पहुँच गया है।
The rumor of that leader's corruption has now reached the news channels.
(us netaa ke bhrashtaachaar kaa dhuaan ab chainlon tak pahunch gayaa hai।)
कंपनी में छँटनी की बात सिर्फ़ धुआँ थी, ऐसा कुछ हुआ ही नहीं।
The talk of layoffs at the company was just rumor, nothing of the sort happened.
(kampnii men chhantnii kii baat sirf dhuaan thii, aisaa kuchh huaa hii nahiin।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
धुआँ
(dhuaan)
(sg.m.oblique):
धुआँ
(dhuaan)
(pl.m.direct):
धुआँ
(dhuaan)
(pl.m.oblique):
धुआँों
([[धुआँों]])