धुन (dhun)
noun
Covers two related ideas: a musical tune or melody, and a fixed obsession or single-minded zeal to do something (often in the phrase धुन में, dhun men).
Sense
1
:
tune, melody
noun, feminine
Synonyms: सुर (sur), राग (raag, musical mode/melody, more technical)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around music: कोई धुन गुनगुनाना (koii dhun gungunaanaa, 'to hum some tune') is a very ordinary thing to say about someone lost in a song under their breath, on a scooter or in the kitchen.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use राग (raag) when they just mean a simple hummable tune -- धुन (dhun) is the everyday word for 'melody' or 'the tune of a song,' while राग (raag) points to a classical musical framework.
Sample Sentences:
वह रसोई में कोई धुन गुनगुना रही थी।
She was humming some tune in the kitchen.
(vah rasoii men koii dhun gungunaa rahii thii।)
इस गाने की धुन बहुत सुंदर है।
The tune of this song is very beautiful.
(is gaane kii dhun bahut sundar hai।)
क्या तुम्हें उस पुरानी फ़िल्म की धुन याद है?
Do you remember the tune of that old movie?
(kyaa tumhen us puraanii film kii dhun yaad hai?)
संगीतकार ने रातभर जागकर नई धुन बनाई।
The music composer stayed up all night and created a new tune.
(sangiitkaar ne raatbhar jaagkar naii dhun banaaii।)
स्कूटर पर बैठा लड़का कोई धुन गुनगुना रहा था।
The boy sitting on the scooter was humming some tune.
(skootar par baithaa ladkaa koii dhun gungunaa rahaa thaa।)
यह धुन इतनी बार बज चुकी है कि अब सब इसे बिना सुने ही गुनगुना सकते हैं।
This tune has been played so many times that now everyone can hum it without even hearing it.
(yah dhun itnii baar baj chukii hai ki ab sab ise binaa sune hii gungunaa sakte hain।)
अगर यह धुन थोड़ी तेज़ होती तो गाना और जानदार लगता।
If this tune were a bit faster, the song would feel more lively.
(agar yah dhun thodii tez hotii to gaanaa aur jaandaar lagtaa।)
कृपया इस धुन को थोड़ा धीमी गति में बजाइए।
Please play this tune at a slightly slower pace.
(kripyaa is dhun ko thodaa dhiimii gati men bajaaie।)
उस धुन को सुनकर पूरा हॉल तालियों से गूँज उठा।
Hearing that tune, the whole hall burst into applause.
(us dhun ko sunkar pooraa hol taaliyon se goonj uthaa।)
यह धुन उसी संगीतकार द्वारा रची गई थी जिसने वह मशहूर फ़िल्मी गीत लिखा था।
This tune was composed by the same musician who wrote that famous film song.
(yah dhun usii sangiitkaar dvaaraa rachii gaii thii jisne vah mashahoor filmii giit likhaa thaa।)
शायद वह इस धुन को अपने अगले एल्बम में शामिल करे।
Perhaps he/she will include this tune in his/her next album.
(shaayad vah is dhun ko apne agle elbam men shaamil kare।)
Sense
2
:
obsession, single-minded zeal
noun, feminine Very commonly used in the postpositional phrase धुन में (dhun men, 'in the grip of an obsession/absorbed in doing something'), often with होना (honaa) or सवार होना (savaar honaa) -- 'X की धुन सवार होना' (X kii dhun savaar honaa, 'to be possessed/driven by an obsession with X').
Synonyms: जुनून (junoon), सनक (sanak, leans toward an eccentric or irrational fixation), ज़िद (zid, stubborn insistence, narrower)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense captures a very Hindi way of describing someone absorbed in their own world -- अपनी धुन का पक्का (apnii dhun kaa pakkaa, roughly 'firmly set on his own track') is a classic compliment-cum-complaint for a stubbornly focused person, the eccentric uncle who paints all day or the neighbor who jogs rain or shine.
Common Mistakes: 1) धुन (dhun) in this sense is almost always followed by में (men) when describing someone acting under its influence, e.g. अपनी धुन में (apnii dhun men, 'lost in his own world/obsession') -- dropping में changes the flavor of the sentence. 2) Don't confuse with जुनून (junoon), which can carry a more intense, even violent edge; धुन (dhun) more often describes a quirky, personal, almost admirable fixation.
Sample Sentences:
वह अपनी धुन का पक्का इंसान है।
He's a man firmly set on his own track.
(vah apnii dhun kaa pakkaa insaan hai।)
उसे बस अपनी धुन में रहने की आदत है, किसी की नहीं सुनता।
He just has a habit of staying lost in his own world, he doesn't listen to anyone.
(use bas apnii dhun men rahne kii aadat hai, kisii kii nahiin suntaa।)
वह किसी अजीब धुन में डूबा हुआ बैठा है, न खाना न पानी।
He's sitting absorbed in some strange obsession, no food, no water.
(vah kisii ajiib dhun men doobaa huaa baithaa hai, n khaanaa n paanii।)
उसे रोज़ सुबह दौड़ने की धुन सवार हो जाती है, बारिश हो या धूप।
He gets seized by the obsession to run every morning, rain or sun.
(use roz subah daudne kii dhun savaar ho jaatii hai, baarish ho yaa dhoop।)
पिछले साल उसे पहाड़ पर चढ़ने की धुन सवार हुई थी।
Last year he got seized by the obsession to climb the mountain.
(pichhle saal use pahaad par chadhne kii dhun savaar huii thii।)
अगर उसे यह धुन न लगी होती, तो वह इतना बड़ा चित्रकार न बन पाता।
If this obsession hadn't taken hold of him, he wouldn't have become such a great painter.
(agar use yah dhun n lagii hotii, to vah itnaa badaa chitrkaar n ban paataa।)
काश उसकी धुन थोड़ी कम होती, तो घरवालों की भी सुन लेता।
I wish his obsession were a little less, then he would listen to his family too.
(kaash uskii dhun thodii kam hotii, to gharvaalon kii bhii sun letaa।)
अपनी धुन में मत खोए रहो, थोड़ा बाहर की दुनिया भी देखो।
Don't stay lost in your own obsession, look at the outside world a bit too.
(apnii dhun men mat khoe raho, thodaa baahar kii duniyaa bhii dekho।)
उस साधक की धुन इतनी गहरी थी कि वह वर्षों तक हिमालय में तपस्या करता रहा।
That sage's zeal was so deep that he kept doing penance in the Himalayas for years.
(us saadhak kii dhun itnii gahrii thii ki vah varshon tak himaalay men tapasyaa kartaa rahaa।)
यह मुमकिन है कि यह धुन उसे किसी दिन बर्बाद कर दे।
It's possible that this obsession might ruin him someday.
(yah mumkin hai ki yah dhun use kisii din barbaad kar de।)
उसकी सारी बचत अपनी धुन के पीछे खर्च कर दी गई।
All his savings were spent chasing his obsession.
(uskii saarii bachat apnii dhun ke piichhe kharch kar dii gaii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
धुन
(dhun)
(sg.f.oblique):
धुन
(dhun)
(pl.f.direct):
धुनें
(dhunen)
(pl.f.oblique):
धुनों
(dhunon)