जल (jal)

noun A formal/literary word for water, most common in written, religious, or elevated speech; everyday spoken Hindi almost always uses पानी (paanii) instead.
Sense 1 : water (formal/literary)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पानी (paanii, everyday word), नीर (niir, literary), आब (aab, literary, rare)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet जल (jal) constantly in temple rituals -- pouring जल (jal) over a Shiva lingam is a standard part of puja -- and in government or news register, like जल बोर्ड (jal bord, 'water board') or जल संरक्षण (jal sanrakshan, 'water conservation'). Think of जल (jal) as the Sanskrit-rooted, formal register sibling of the humble, everyday पानी (paanii).
Common Mistakes: 1) Using जल (jal) in casual conversation sounds stiff or bookish; ask for drinking water at a chai stall with पानी (paanii), not जल (jal). 2) Learners sometimes treat जल (jal) and पानी (paanii) as fully interchangeable, but जल (jal) is reserved for religious, poetic, formal, or compound-word contexts (like जल संकट, jal sankat, 'water crisis' in news headlines).
Sample Sentences:
जल ही जीवन है। Water is life.
(jal hii jiivan hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
भक्त शिवलिंग पर जल चढ़ा रहे हैं। Devotees are offering water on the Shiva lingam.
(bhakt shivling par jal chadhaa rahe hain।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जल संरक्षण के बिना आने वाली पीढ़ियों का भविष्य खतरे में है। Without water conservation, the future of coming generations is at risk.
(jal sanrakshan ke binaa aane vaalii piidhiyon kaa bhavishy khatre men hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दिल्ली जल बोर्ड ने नई पाइपलाइन बिछाने की योजना बनाई है। The Delhi Jal Board has planned to lay a new pipeline.
(dillii jal bord ne naii paaiplaain bichhaane kii yojnaa banaaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पुजारी ने मंत्र पढ़ते हुए जल से अभिषेक किया। The priest performed the ritual bathing with water while chanting mantras.
(pujaarii ne mantr padhte hue jal se abhishek kiyaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यदि भूमिगत जल का स्तर और गिरा, तो सूखे की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो सकती है। If the groundwater level falls further, a drought situation could arise.
(yadi bhoomigat jal kaa star aur giraa, to sookhe kii sthiti utpann ho saktii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह क्षेत्र भूमिगत जल के अत्यधिक दोहन के कारण बंजर हो गया। This region became barren due to excessive exploitation of groundwater.
(yah kshetr bhoomigat jal ke atydhik dohan ke kaaran banjar ho gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यज्ञ में शुद्ध जल का ही प्रयोग किया जाता है। Only pure water is used in the sacred fire ritual.
(yagy men shuddh jal kaa hii prayog kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
जल तत्व की प्रधानता वाले व्यक्ति स्वभाव से शांत माने जाते हैं। People with a predominance of the water element are considered calm by nature.
(jal tatv kii pradhaantaa vaale vyakti svabhaav se shaant maane jaate hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
नदी का जल दिन-प्रतिदिन प्रदूषित होता जा रहा है। The river's water is becoming more polluted day by day.
(nadii kaa jal din-pratidin pradooshit hotaa jaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): जल (jal)
(sg.m.oblique): जल (jal)
(pl.m.direct): जल (jal)
(pl.m.oblique): जलों (jalon)