आह (aah)
interjection/noun
Primarily an interjection expressing pain, longing, or a heartfelt sigh; also used as a feminine noun meaning 'sigh' or 'groan', especially in poetic and emotional speech.
Sense
1
:
exclamation of pain, sorrow, or longing
interjection
Synonyms: हाय (haay)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear आह (aah) escape someone's lips when they stub a toe, remember an old heartbreak, or watch a sad scene in a film -- it carries a soft, drawn-out quality that fits both physical pain and emotional ache. It pairs naturally with sighing gestures, closed eyes, or a hand pressed to the chest.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use आह (aah) for surprise or delight, but it leans toward pain, sorrow, or wistful longing -- for happy surprise, वाह (vaah) is the word natives reach for instead.
Sample Sentences:
आह! यह क्या हो गया मुझे?
Ah! What has happened to me?
(aah! yah kyaa ho gayaa mujhe?)
आह, पैर में कील चुभ गई!
Ah, a nail just poked into my foot!
(aah, pair men kiil chubh gaii!)
आह, वो दिन फिर याद आ गए।
Ah, those days came to mind again.
(aah, vo din phir yaad aa gae।)
आह, काश मैं उसे रोक पाता।
Ah, if only I could have stopped her.
(aah, kaash main use rok paataa।)
फिल्म का वह दृश्य देखकर सब लोग धीरे से बोले, "आह!"
Seeing that scene in the film, everyone softly said, "Ah!"
(philm kaa vah drishy dekhkar sab log dhiire se bole, "aah!")
आह, तुम्हारे बिना यह घर सूना लगता है।
Ah, without you this house feels empty.
(aah, tumhaare binaa yah ghar soonaa lagtaa hai।)
आह! अब और बर्दाश्त नहीं होता।
Ah! I can't bear it anymore.
(aah! ab aur bardaasht nahiin hotaa।)
उसने आँखें बंद कीं और आह भरते हुए कहा, "क्या ज़िंदगी थी वो।"
She closed her eyes and, sighing an "ah," said, "What a life that was."
(usne aankhen band kiin aur aah bharte hue kahaa, "kyaa zindgii thii vo।")
आह, इतनी सुंदर शाम मैंने पहले कभी नहीं देखी।
Ah, I have never seen such a beautiful evening before.
(aah, itnii sundar shaam mainne pahle kabhii nahiin dekhii।)
Sense
2
:
a sigh, groan, or heartfelt lament
noun, feminine Common in the fixed phrase आह भरना (aah bharnaa, 'to heave a sigh'), which functions almost like a compound verb.
Synonyms: उसाँस (usaans, literary), आहट (aahat, different nuance: 'sound of footsteps/presence')
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: In Hindi film lyrics and Urdu-flavored shayari, an आह (aah) is almost always the sigh of a wounded lover -- it is a staple of romantic and melancholic poetry, evoking someone gazing out a window lost in thought.
Common Mistakes: 1) आह भरना (aah bharnaa) is the natural collocation for 'to sigh' -- learners sometimes try आह करना (aah karnaa), which sounds off to native ears.
Sample Sentences:
उसके होंठों से एक गहरी आह निकली।
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
(uske honthon se ek gahrii aah niklii।)
वह खिड़की के पास बैठी आहें भरती रहती है।
She sits by the window, endlessly heaving sighs.
(vah khidkii ke paas baithii aahen bhartii rahtii hai।)
शायर की हर ग़ज़ल में उसके दिल की आह छुपी होती है।
In every ghazal of the poet, the sigh of his heart lies hidden.
(shaayar kii har ghazal men uske dil kii aah chhupii hotii hai।)
उसकी आह सुनकर मेरा दिल पिघल गया।
Hearing her sigh, my heart melted.
(uskii aah sunkar meraa dil pighal gayaa।)
काश वह अपनी आहों को शब्दों में बयां कर पाता।
If only he could put his sighs into words.
(kaash vah apnii aahon ko shabdon men bayaan kar paataa।)
अगर तुम मुझे छोड़ोगे तो मेरी हर सांस एक आह बन जाएगी।
If you leave me, every breath of mine will turn into a sigh.
(agar tum mujhe chhodoge to merii har saans ek aah ban jaaegii।)
उसकी आह में बरसों का दर्द बसा था।
Years of pain resided in her sigh.
(uskii aah men barson kaa dard basaa thaa।)
चाँदनी रात में उसकी आह दूर तक सुनाई देती थी।
On the moonlit night, her sigh could be heard far away.
(chaandnii raat men uskii aah door tak sunaaii detii thii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
आह
(aah)
(sg.f.oblique):
आह
(aah)
(pl.f.direct):
आहें
(aahen)
(pl.f.oblique):
आहों
(aahon)