आँख (aankh)

noun Primarily means the physical eye, but extends into a rich set of idioms around perception, attention, and shame/respect.

Sense 1 : the physical organ of sight

noun, feminine

Synonyms: नयन (nayan, literary), नेत्र (netr, literary)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the base literal sense that all the idiomatic uses below grow out of -- once you know आँख (aankh) means 'eye,' phrases like आँख लगना (aankh lagnaa) or आँखें दिखाना (aankhen dikhaanaa) become much easier to remember, since they're just the eye doing something metaphorical.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to the singular आँख (aankh) even when talking about both eyes; native speakers usually say आँखें (aankhen) since we naturally have a pair, e.g. मेरी आँखें दुख रही हैं (merii aankhen dukh rahii hain, 'my eyes hurt'), not the singular form.

Sample Sentences:

मेरी आँख में कुछ गिर गया है। Something has fallen into my eye.

(merii aankh men kuchh gir gayaa hai।)

डॉक्टर हर साल मरीज़ों की आँखों की जाँच करते हैं। The doctor checks patients' eyes every year.

(doktar har saal mariizon kii aankhon kii jaanch karte hain।)

उसकी बाईं आँख नीली और दाईं आँख भूरी है। His left eye is blue and his right eye is brown.

(uskii baaiin aankh niilii aur daaiin aankh bhoorii hai।)

अपनी आँखें बंद करो और गहरी साँस लो। Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

(apnii aankhen band karo aur gahrii saans lo।)

अगर धूल की वजह से मेरी आँखें दुखतीं, तो मैं चश्मा पहन लेता। If my eyes hurt because of the dust, I would wear glasses.

(agar dhool kii vajah se merii aankhen dukhtiin, to main chashmaa pahan letaa।)

सर्जरी के बाद उसकी आँख पर पट्टी बाँधी गई थी। After the surgery, a bandage was tied over her eye.

(sarjrii ke baad uskii aankh par pattii baandhii gaii thii।)

शायद उसकी आँख में कोई इन्फेक्शन हो। Maybe there is an infection in his eye.

(shaayad uskii aankh men koii inphekshan ho।)

बच्चा सो रहा था, उसकी आँखें आधी खुली थीं। The child was sleeping, his eyes half open.

(bachchaa so rahaa thaa, uskii aankhen aadhii khulii thiin।)

इस बूँद को दिन में तीन बार आँख में डालिए। Put this drop in your eye three times a day.

(is boond ko din men tiin baar aankh men daalie।)

एक आँख की रोशनी बचपन में ही चली गई थी। The vision in one eye was already lost in childhood.

(ek aankh kii roshnii bachpan men hii chalii gaii thii।)

मरीज़ की आँख का ऑपरेशन कल किया जाएगा। The patient's eye operation will be done tomorrow.

(mariiz kii aankh kaa opreshan kal kiyaa jaaegaa।)

Sense 2 : sight, vision, or the faculty of seeing/noticing

noun, feminine Common in phrases like आँखों के सामने (aankhon ke saamne, 'right before one's eyes') and आँख से देखना (aankh se dekhnaa, 'to see with one's own eyes'), where आँख (aankh) stands in for the act or faculty of seeing rather than the organ itself.

Synonyms: नज़र (nazar), दृष्टि (drishti, formal)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: Hindi often frames perception as something that happens to a body part rather than something a person actively does -- notice how आँख (aankh) shows up in dative-subject-flavored expressions of involuntary seeing or noticing, much like दिल (dil) or कान (kaan) do for feeling and hearing.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse आँख (aankh) with नज़र (nazar) -- आँख (aankh) is the physical or perceptual base, while नज़र (nazar) leans toward 'gaze' or 'attention' as a directed action, e.g. उसकी नज़र मुझ पर पड़ी (uskii nazar mujh par padii, 'his gaze fell on me') sounds natural, but the same sentence with आँख (aankh) instead of नज़र (nazar) would sound odd.

Sample Sentences:

मेरी आँख कमज़ोर हो गई है, अब बिना चश्मे के कुछ नहीं दिखता। My eyesight has gotten weak, now I can't see anything without glasses.

(merii aankh kamzor ho gaii hai, ab binaa chashme ke kuchh nahiin dikhtaa।)

अचानक उसकी आँख उस पुरानी तस्वीर पर पड़ी। Her eye suddenly fell on that old photograph.

(achaanak uskii aankh us puraanii tasviir par padii।)

भीड़ में मेरी आँख उसी पर टिक गई। In the crowd, my gaze got fixed on him alone.

(bhiid men merii aankh usii par tik gaii।)

अगर तुम्हारी आँख थोड़ी तेज़ होती, तो तुम्हें वह गलती पहले ही दिख जाती। If your eyesight were a bit sharper, you would have noticed that mistake earlier.

(agar tumhaarii aankh thodii tez hotii, to tumhen vah galtii pahle hii dikh jaatii।)

डॉक्टर ने कहा कि उम्र के साथ आँख कमज़ोर पड़ने लगती है। The doctor said that eyesight starts weakening with age.

(doktar ne kahaa ki umr ke saath aankh kamzor padne lagtii hai।)

अपनी आँख का ध्यान रखो, ज़्यादा देर स्क्रीन मत देखो। Take care of your eyesight, don't look at the screen for too long.

(apnii aankh kaa dhyaan rakho, zyaadaa der skriin mat dekho।)

उसकी आँख बहुत तेज़ है, दूर से ही सब पहचान लेता है। His eyesight is very sharp, he recognizes everyone from far away.

(uskii aankh bahut tez hai, door se hii sab pahchaan letaa hai।)

शायद उसकी आँख धोखा खा गई हो, वहाँ कुछ नहीं था। Maybe his eyes deceived him, there was nothing there.

(shaayad uskii aankh dhokhaa khaa gaii ho, vahaan kuchh nahiin thaa।)

जैसे ही रोशनी हुई, हर चीज़ आँख के सामने साफ़ हो गई। As soon as there was light, everything became clear to the eye.

(jaise hii roshnii huii, har chiiz aankh ke saamne saaf ho gaii।)

इतनी बारीक लिखावट को पढ़ना हर किसी की आँख के बस की बात नहीं। Reading such fine print is not within everyone's eyesight to manage.

(itnii baariik likhaavat ko padhnaa har kisii kii aankh ke bas kii baat nahiin।)

Sense 3 : used in idioms about shame, respect, boldness, or emotional restraint

noun, feminine This sense lives almost entirely inside fixed idioms: आँख शर्म करना (aankh sharm karnaa, 'to feel too ashamed to do something'), आँखें दिखाना (aankhen dikhaanaa, 'to intimidate/threaten with a look'), आँखों में धूल झोंकना (aankhon men dhool jhonknaa, 'to deceive someone'), and आँख लगना (aankh lagnaa, 'to fall asleep' or 'to fall in love,' depending on context).

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Family scenes bring these idioms to life: a mother might scold a child with तुम मुझे आँखें दिखाते हो? (tum mujhe aankhen dikhaate ho, 'are you glaring at me?'), while grandparents dozing on a charpai after lunch are the classic image behind आँख लग जाना (aankh lag jaanaa, 'to drift off to sleep'). These expressions are everyday texture, not bookish idioms.

Common Mistakes: 1) These idioms cannot be translated word-for-word -- आँखें दिखाना (aankhen dikhaanaa) does not mean 'to show eyes' in any literal sense, it means to glare threateningly or act tough with someone, often used of a junior being cheeky to an elder. 2) आँख लगना (aankh lagnaa) is ambiguous out of context -- it can mean 'to doze off' (नींद में आँख लगना, niind men aankh lagnaa) or 'to become emotionally attached/fall for someone,' so learners should rely on context to disambiguate.

Sample Sentences:

तुम मुझे आँखें दिखाते हो? Are you glaring at me like that?

(tum mujhe aankhen dikhaate ho?)

दादाजी खाना खाकर सो गए, बस आँख लग गई थी। Grandpa dozed off after eating, he'd just drifted off to sleep.

(daadaajii khaanaa khaakar so gae, bas aankh lag gaii thii।)

उसने अपने बड़ों के सामने कभी आँख ऊँची नहीं की। He never dared to raise his eyes in front of his elders.

(usne apne badon ke saamne kabhii aankh oonchii nahiin kii।)

इतना झूठ बोलने के बाद भी उसकी आँख में शर्म नहीं है। Even after telling so many lies, he has no shame in his eyes.

(itnaa jhooth bolne ke baad bhii uskii aankh men sharm nahiin hai।)

अपनी आँखें नीची रखो और चुपचाप बैठो। Keep your eyes lowered and sit quietly.

(apnii aankhen niichii rakho aur chupchaap baitho।)

अगर वह मेरी आँख से आँख मिलाकर बात करता तो मुझे यकीन हो जाता कि वह सच बोल रहा है। If he spoke while looking me straight in the eye, I would believe he was telling the truth.

(agar vah merii aankh se aankh milaakar baat kartaa to mujhe yakiin ho jaataa ki vah sach bol rahaa hai।)

टीवी देखते-देखते उसकी आँख लग गई। She drifted off to sleep while watching TV.

(tiivii dekhte-dekhte uskii aankh lag gaii।)

बेटा, बड़ों से आँख मिलाकर बात करना सीखो, डरो मत। Son, learn to speak to elders while looking them in the eye, don't be scared.

(betaa, badon se aankh milaakar baat karnaa siikho, daro mat।)

मुझे डर है कि कहीं वह अपनी बेशर्मी में आँख न दिखाने लगे। I'm afraid he might start being defiant and shameless about it.

(mujhe dar hai ki kahiin vah apnii besharmii men aankh n dikhaane lage।)

उसकी बदतमीज़ी देखकर पिताजी की आँखें शर्म से झुक गईं। Seeing his rudeness, father's eyes fell in shame.

(uskii badatmiizii dekhkar pitaajii kii aankhen sharm se jhuk gaiin।)

समाज में इज़्ज़त बनाए रखनी है तो किसी की आँख में आँख डालकर झूठ मत बोलो। If you want to keep your honor in society, don't lie boldly to someone's face.

(samaaj men izzat banaae rakhnii hai to kisii kii aankh men aankh daalkar jhooth mat bolo।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): आँख (aankh)

(sg.f.oblique): आँख (aankh)

(pl.f.direct): आँखें (aankhen)

(pl.f.oblique): आँखों (aankhon)