हिरन (hiran)

noun A common noun meaning 'deer'; used both literally for the animal and figuratively in a couple of set expressions about being startled or vanishing.

Sense 1 : deer

noun, masculine

Synonyms: मृग (mrig, literary)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: हिरन (hiran) is the word you will hear at a zoo (chidiyaaghar) or wildlife sanctuary, while मृग (mrig) has a more storybook, classical feel -- think of the mrig-tanha (mirage) idea or the golden deer from the Ramayan that Sita wanted.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for मृग (mrig) as the everyday word because it appears in textbooks and mythology stories (like the golden deer of the Ramayan), but in ordinary spoken Hindi हिरन (hiran) is what people actually say.

Sample Sentences:

चिड़ियाघर में बच्चों ने हिरन को देखा। The children saw a deer at the zoo.

(chidiyaaghar men bachchon ne hiran ko dekhaa।)

हिरन बहुत तेज़ दौड़ता है। A deer runs very fast.

(hiran bahut tez daudtaa hai।)

जंगल में एक हिरन घास चर रहा था। A deer was grazing on grass in the forest.

(jangal men ek hiran ghaas char rahaa thaa।)

देखो, वहाँ पेड़ों के पीछे हिरन खड़ा है। Look, there's a deer standing behind the trees.

(dekho, vahaan pedon ke piichhe hiran khadaa hai।)

अभयारण्य में हिरनों की संख्या हर साल बढ़ रही है। The number of deer in the sanctuary is increasing every year.

(abhyaarany men hirnon kii sankhyaa har saal badh rahii hai।)

शिकारियों ने हिरन का शिकार किया। The hunters hunted the deer.

(shikaariyon ne hiran kaa shikaar kiyaa।)

अगर जंगल कट गए तो हिरन कहाँ रहेंगे? If the forests get cut down, where will the deer live?

(agar jangal kat gae to hiran kahaan rahenge?)

काश हिरन इंसानों से नहीं डरते। I wish deer weren't afraid of humans.

(kaash hiran insaanon se nahiin darte।)

अगर वन विभाग ध्यान देता तो इतने हिरन बीमार न होते। If the forest department had paid attention, so many deer wouldn't have fallen sick.

(agar van vibhaag dhyaan detaa to itne hiran biimaar n hote।)

क्या तुमने कभी जंगली हिरन को इतने पास से देखा है? Have you ever seen a wild deer from this close?

(kyaa tumne kabhii janglii hiran ko itne paas se dekhaa hai?)

हिरन को उस पेड़ के पास बाँध दिया गया था। The deer had been tied near that tree.

(hiran ko us ped ke paas baandh diyaa gayaa thaa।)

Sense 2 : someone easily startled or frightened (figurative)

noun, masculine Used mainly inside the fixed idiom हिरन हो जाना (hiran ho jaanaa, 'to bolt/vanish out of fear') rather than as a free-standing description of a person.

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: The image is very physical: a deer's instinct to freeze and then dart away at the slightest sound. Hindi speakers reach for this same picture when describing someone who gets spooked and disappears, much like English 'to bolt like a rabbit.'

Common Mistakes: 1) This sense barely occurs on its own -- learners should not try to use हिरन (hiran) alone as an adjective for 'timid'; it only carries this meaning inside the idiom with हो जाना (ho jaanaa).

Sample Sentences:

पुलिस को देखते ही वह हिरन हो गया। The moment he saw the police, he bolted like a startled deer.

(pulis ko dekhte hii vah hiran ho gayaa।)

जरा सी आवाज़ पर वह हिरन की तरह उछल जाती है। At the slightest sound, she jumps like a startled deer.

(jaraa sii aavaaz par vah hiran kii tarah uchhal jaatii hai।)

सवाल सुनकर वह हिरन जैसी आँखों से मुझे देखने लगा। Hearing the question, he started looking at me with deer-like frightened eyes.

(savaal sunkar vah hiran jaisii aankhon se mujhe dekhne lagaa।)

डरो मत, हिरन मत बनो, सामने खड़े होकर जवाब दो। Don't be afraid, don't turn into a startled deer, stand your ground and answer.

(daro mat, hiran mat bano, saamne khade hokar javaab do।)

अगर बॉस ने ज़रा भी सख्ती से बात की, तो वह हिरन हो जाएगा। If the boss speaks even a little sternly, he'll bolt like a scared deer.

(agar bos ne zaraa bhii sakhtii se baat kii, to vah hiran ho jaaegaa।)

इंटरव्यू में वह पूरी तरह हिरन बना हुआ था, कुछ बोल ही नहीं पाया। In the interview, he was completely frozen like a startled deer, he couldn't even speak.

(intravyoo men vah poorii tarah hiran banaa huaa thaa, kuchh bol hii nahiin paayaa।)

काश वह हर छोटी बात पर हिरन न बन जाता। I wish he didn't turn into a startled deer over every little thing.

(kaash vah har chhotii baat par hiran n ban jaataa।)

क्या तुम हमेशा इतनी छोटी बातों पर हिरन बन जाओगे? Are you always going to turn into a nervous wreck over such small things?

(kyaa tum hameshaa itnii chhotii baaton par hiran ban jaaoge?)

उसे देखकर लग रहा था कि कोई हिरन कमरे में घिर गया हो। Looking at him, it seemed as if some startled deer had been cornered in the room.

(use dekhkar lag rahaa thaa ki koii hiran kamre men ghir gayaa ho।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): हिरन (hiran)

(sg.m.oblique): हिरन (hiran)

(pl.m.direct): हिरन (hiran)

(pl.m.oblique): हिरनों (hirnon)