मैदान (maidaan)
noun
A concrete open space -- a field, ground, or plain -- that extends into a common figurative sense of 'arena' or 'field of action' (as in a contest or battle). One word covers both the physical park down the street and the metaphorical battlefield.
Sense
1
:
open ground, field, park
noun, masculine
Synonyms: खेल का मैदान (khel kaa maidaan, playground/sports field), प्रांगण (praangan, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every Delhi-NCR neighborhood has 'the मैदान (maidaan)' -- the local ground where kids play cricket in the evening, morning walkers do their rounds, and election rallies or Ramlila stages get set up. It is a genuinely communal space in a way 'field' in English doesn't quite capture.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for पार्क (paark) for any green space, but मैदान (maidaan) is the more native word for a large open patch used for sports, walking, or gathering -- not necessarily landscaped like a formal park. 2) Note the fixed phrase मैदान में जाना (maidaan men jaanaa, to go out to the field/grounds), which locals use for heading out to play or exercise.
Sample Sentences:
शाम को सारे बच्चे मैदान में खेलते हैं।
In the evening, all the kids play in the ground.
(shaam ko saare bachche maidaan men khelte hain।)
वो सुबह-सुबह मैदान में सैर करने जाती है।
She goes for a walk in the park early in the morning.
(vo subah-subah maidaan men sair karne jaatii hai।)
कल हम मैदान में क्रिकेट खेल रहे थे।
Yesterday we were playing cricket in the field.
(kal ham maidaan men kriket khel rahe the।)
मैदान में रामलीला का मंच बन गया है।
The Ramlila stage has been set up in the ground.
(maidaan men raamliilaa kaa manch ban gayaa hai।)
अगर बारिश नहीं होती, तो नेता जी का चुनावी रैली मैदान में होती।
If it hadn't rained, the leader's election rally would have been held in the ground.
(agar baarish nahiin hotii, to netaa jii kaa chunaavii railii maidaan men hotii।)
मैदान में जाकर थोड़ी देर दौड़ लगा लो।
Go to the ground and run around for a bit.
(maidaan men jaakar thodii der daud lagaa lo।)
शायद इस बार मेला मैदान में न लगे, स्कूल के पास लगे।
Maybe this time the fair won't be set up in the ground, it might be near the school.
(shaayad is baar melaa maidaan men n lage, skool ke paas lage।)
पूरा मैदान झंडों से सजाया गया था।
The whole ground had been decorated with flags.
(pooraa maidaan jhandon se sajaayaa gayaa thaa।)
बुजुर्ग लोग हर रोज़ मैदान के चक्कर लगाते हैं।
The elderly folks do their rounds of the park every day.
(bujurg log har roz maidaan ke chakkar lagaate hain।)
स्कूल का सालाना खेल मैदान में ही होगा।
The school's annual sports event will be held right in the ground.
(skool kaa saalaanaa khel maidaan men hii hogaa।)
मैदान में एक कोने में बुड्ढे लोग बैठे हैं और बातें कर रहे हैं।
In one corner of the ground, some old men are sitting and chatting.
(maidaan men ek kone men buddhe log baithe hain aur baaten kar rahe hain।)
Sense
2
:
arena, field of action/battle (figurative)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: रणभूमि (ranbhoomi, literary, specifically battlefield), क्षेत्र (kshetr, field/domain)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative sense turns any contest -- a cricket match, an election, a business rivalry -- into a 'field' the way English does with 'battleground,' but Hindi leans on it more heavily in everyday commentary: cricket commentators and political reporters both use मैदान (maidaan) constantly for 'the contest is on.'
Common Mistakes: 1) मैदान मारना (maidaan maarnaa, 'to win the field') and मैदान छोड़ना (maidaan chhodnaa, 'to abandon the field, give up/flee') are set idioms -- don't translate them literally as being about physical ground when the context is a contest, election, or argument.
Sample Sentences:
राजनीति का मैदान आसान नहीं है।
The political arena is not easy.
(raajniiti kaa maidaan aasaan nahiin hai।)
दोनों टीमें मैदान में उतर चुकी हैं।
Both teams have already come out into the arena.
(donon tiimen maidaan men utar chukii hain।)
वह हर बार चुनावी मैदान में डटा रहता है।
He stands firm in the electoral arena every single time.
(vah har baar chunaavii maidaan men dataa rahtaa hai।)
अगर तुम मैदान छोड़ोगे, तो जीत उसकी होगी।
If you leave the field, the victory will be his.
(agar tum maidaan chhodoge, to jiit uskii hogii।)
व्यापार के मैदान में उसने बड़े-बड़ों को पीछे छोड़ दिया।
In the business arena, he left even the biggest players behind.
(vyaapaar ke maidaan men usne bade-badon ko piichhe chhod diyaa।)
मैदान में डटे रहो, हार मत मानो।
Stay firm in the arena, don't accept defeat.
(maidaan men date raho, haar mat maano।)
कमेंटेटर चिल्ला रहा था कि मैदान अब पूरी तरह गरम हो गया है।
The commentator was shouting that the arena has now completely heated up.
(kamentetar chillaa rahaa thaa ki maidaan ab poorii tarah garam ho gayaa hai।)
यह मुकाबला असली मैदान तो अगले हफ्ते ही शुरू होगा।
The real arena of this contest will only begin next week.
(yah mukaablaa aslii maidaan to agle haphte hii shuroo hogaa।)
काश वह भी इस मैदान में उतरता।
If only he too had entered this arena.
(kaash vah bhii is maidaan men utartaa।)
उम्मीद है कि सभी उम्मीदवार निष्पक्ष मैदान में उतरें।
It is hoped that all candidates will step into a fair arena.
(ummiid hai ki sabhii ummiidvaar nishpaksh maidaan men utren।)
चुनावी मैदान में विरोधियों द्वारा हर तरह के आरोप लगाए गए।
In the electoral arena, all kinds of accusations were leveled by the rivals.
(chunaavii maidaan men virodhiyon dvaaraa har tarah ke aarop lagaae gae।)
Sense
3
:
plain (geographic)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: समतल भूमि (samtal bhoomi, formal/geographic)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this sense in geography class or the news: गंगा का मैदान (gangaa kaa maidaan, 'the Gangetic plain') is the standard term for the great northern plains of India.
Sample Sentences:
गंगा का मैदान भारत का सबसे उपजाऊ इलाका है।
The Gangetic plain is the most fertile region of India.
(gangaa kaa maidaan bhaarat kaa sabse upjaaoo ilaakaa hai।)
उत्तर भारत का मैदान हिमालय से लेकर विंध्य तक फैला है।
The plain of North India stretches from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas.
(uttar bhaarat kaa maidaan himaalay se lekar vindhy tak phailaa hai।)
भूगोल की किताब में मैदानों का नक्शा दिया गया है।
A map of the plains has been given in the geography book.
(bhoogol kii kitaab men maidaanon kaa nakshaa diyaa gayaa hai।)
नदियाँ पहाड़ों से निकलकर मैदानों में बहती हैं।
Rivers originate in the mountains and flow into the plains.
(nadiyaan pahaadon se nikalkar maidaanon men bahtii hain।)
अगर बाढ़ आई, तो पूरा मैदान डूब जाएगा।
If a flood comes, the entire plain will be submerged.
(agar baadh aaii, to pooraa maidaan doob jaaegaa।)
अध्यापक ने समझाया कि मैदान समतल भूमि को कहते हैं।
The teacher explained that a plain refers to flat land.
(adhyaapak ne samjhaayaa ki maidaan samtal bhoomi ko kahte hain।)
अगर यहाँ पहाड़ होते, तो यह मैदान नहीं कहलाता।
If there were mountains here, this would not be called a plain.
(agar yahaan pahaad hote, to yah maidaan nahiin kahlaataa।)
पंजाब और हरियाणा का इलाका उपजाऊ मैदानों से भरा है।
The region of Punjab and Haryana is filled with fertile plains.
(panjaab aur hariyaanaa kaa ilaakaa upjaaoo maidaanon se bharaa hai।)
इतिहासकारों का मानना है कि प्राचीन सभ्यताएँ मैदानों में ही विकसित हुईं।
Historians believe that ancient civilizations developed precisely on the plains.
(itihaaskaaron kaa maannaa hai ki praachiin sabhytaaen maidaanon men hii viksit huiin।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
मैदान
(maidaan)
(sg.m.oblique):
मैदान
(maidaan)
(pl.m.direct):
मैदान
(maidaan)
(pl.m.oblique):
मैदानों
(maidaanon)