वक़्त (vaqt)

noun A common everyday word for 'time,' both in the abstract sense (time passing, time available) and in the sense of a particular occasion or moment; also appears in a handful of fixed time-related expressions.

Sense 1 : time (in general; duration, availability of time)

noun, masculine

Synonyms: समय (samay), वेला (velaa, literary)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: वक़्त (vaqt) is an Urdu-origin word so thoroughly absorbed into everyday Hindi that most speakers don't register it as 'foreign' at all -- you will hear it constantly in Delhi markets, offices, and homes, often interchangeably with समय (samay). It also carries a slightly more emotional or reflective color in phrases about life and fate, which is part of why it shows up so often in film dialogue and song lyrics about time passing.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach only for समय (samay) because textbooks introduce it first, but वक़्त (vaqt) is at least as common in spoken Hindi, especially in Delhi -- both are safe defaults. 2) In phrases like 'I don't have time,' the construction is dative-subject: मेरे पास वक़्त नहीं है (mere paas vaqt nahiin hai, 'I don't have time'), not a direct translation of the English subject-verb order.

Sample Sentences:

मेरे पास अभी वक़्त नहीं है। I don't have time right now.

(mere paas abhii vaqt nahiin hai।)

क्या तुम्हारे पास थोड़ा वक़्त है? Do you have a little time?

(kyaa tumhaare paas thodaa vaqt hai?)

वक़्त कैसे बीत जाता है, पता ही नहीं चलता। You don't even realize how time passes.

(vaqt kaise biit jaataa hai, pataa hii nahiin chaltaa।)

अगर मेरे पास वक़्त होता, तो मैं तुम्हारी मदद ज़रूर करता। If I had time, I would definitely help you.

(agar mere paas vaqt hotaa, to main tumhaarii madad zaroor kartaa।)

वक़्त बहुत कम बचा है, जल्दी करो। Very little time is left, hurry up.

(vaqt bahut kam bachaa hai, jaldii karo।)

वक़्त ने उसे बहुत कुछ सिखा दिया। Time taught him a great deal.

(vaqt ne use bahut kuchh sikhaa diyaa।)

काश मेरे पास और वक़्त होता। I wish I had more time.

(kaash mere paas aur vaqt hotaa।)

इतना काम है कि वक़्त निकालना मुश्किल हो जाता है। There is so much work that it becomes hard to find the time.

(itnaa kaam hai ki vaqt nikaalnaa mushkil ho jaataa hai।)

अच्छे दिनों में सबका वक़्त बर्बाद नहीं करना चाहिए। One should not waste everyone's time during good days.

(achchhe dinon men sabkaa vaqt barbaad nahiin karnaa chaahie।)

वक़्त किसी का इंतज़ार नहीं करता। Time waits for no one.

(vaqt kisii kaa intzaar nahiin kartaa।)

यह फैसला वक़्त रहते लिया जाना चाहिए था। This decision should have been made while there was still time.

(yah phaislaa vaqt rahte liyaa jaanaa chaahie thaa।)

गुज़रा हुआ वक़्त कभी लौटकर नहीं आता। Time that has passed never comes back.

(guzraa huaa vaqt kabhii lautkar nahiin aataa।)

Sense 2 : a particular time, moment, or occasion

noun, masculine

Synonyms: मौक़ा (mauqaa, 'occasion/opportunity, close in some contexts'), पल (pal, 'instant, narrower scope')

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You'll hear वक़्त (vaqt) used to mark a specific juncture in someone's life, as in बुरे वक़्त में (bure vaqt men, 'in bad times') -- Hindi speakers lean on this word heavily when talking about difficult or fortunate periods, almost personifying time as something that treats you well or badly.

Common Mistakes: 1) Used with इस (is) or उस (us) to mean 'at this/that time' -- इस वक़्त (is vaqt, 'at this time/right now') is extremely common and learners sometimes default to अभी (abhii) instead, which is fine but less flexible in longer sentences.

Sample Sentences:

बुरे वक़्त में दोस्त ही काम आते हैं। In bad times, it's friends who really come to your aid.

(bure vaqt men dost hii kaam aate hain।)

यह वक़्त बहुत नाज़ुक है, संभलकर फ़ैसला लो। This is a very delicate moment, make your decision carefully.

(yah vaqt bahut naazuk hai, sambhalkar faislaa lo।)

उस वक़्त मैं बहुत छोटा था, मुझे कुछ याद नहीं। At that time I was very young, I don't remember anything.

(us vaqt main bahut chhotaa thaa, mujhe kuchh yaad nahiin।)

अच्छे वक़्त में कोई साथ दे या न दे, फ़र्क नहीं पड़ता। In good times, whether someone stands by you or not doesn't matter.

(achchhe vaqt men koii saath de yaa n de, fark nahiin padtaa।)

अगर वह वक़्त फिर आ जाए, तो मैं वैसा ही फ़ैसला लूँगी। If that moment were to come again, I would make the same decision.

(agar vah vaqt phir aa jaae, to main vaisaa hii faislaa loongii।)

काश उस वक़्त मैं वहाँ होता। I wish I had been there at that moment.

(kaash us vaqt main vahaan hotaa।)

हर वक़्त की अपनी एक अलग कहानी होती है। Every occasion has its own distinct story.

(har vaqt kii apnii ek alag kahaanii hotii hai।)

वक़्त-वक़्त की बात है, कभी हम ऊपर थे, कभी वे। It's a matter of different times -- sometimes we were on top, sometimes they were.

(vaqt-vaqt kii baat hai, kabhii ham oopar the, kabhii ve।)

मुसीबत के वक़्त उसने हमारा साथ नहीं छोड़ा। At the time of trouble, he didn't leave our side.

(musiibat ke vaqt usne hamaaraa saath nahiin chhodaa।)

जीत के उस वक़्त को वह ज़िंदगी भर नहीं भूलेगी। She will never forget that moment of victory for the rest of her life.

(jiit ke us vaqt ko vah zindgii bhar nahiin bhoolegii।)

उस नाज़ुक वक़्त में यही फ़ैसला सही समझा गया। In that delicate moment, this very decision was considered right.

(us naazuk vaqt men yahii faislaa sahii samjhaa gayaa।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): वक़्त (vaqt)

(sg.m.oblique): वक़्त (vaqt)

(pl.m.direct): वक़्त (vaqt)

(pl.m.oblique): वक़्तों (vaqton)