तस्वीर (tasviir)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning 'picture' -- covers photographs, drawings, and paintings, plus a figurative sense of an overall 'picture' or 'situation.'
Sense
1
:
photograph, picture, image
noun, feminine
Synonyms: फ़ोटो (foto), चित्र (chitr, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi speech, तस्वीर (tasviir) covers everything from a phone photo to a framed painting on the wall -- English forces you to pick 'photo' vs 'picture' vs 'painting,' but Hindi is happy to stay general unless you need to specify with फ़ोटो (foto) or पेंटिंग (penting).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach only for फ़ोटो (foto) when speaking; तस्वीर (tasviir) is just as common and works for both photos and drawings/paintings, so overusing फ़ोटो (foto) can sound narrower than a native speaker would be. 2) The verb of choice is खींचना (khiinchnaa, to pull/draw) for 'to take a picture' -- तस्वीर लेना (tasviir lenaa) is understood but तस्वीर खींचना (tasviir khiinchnaa) is the more native phrasing.
Sample Sentences:
यह तस्वीर बहुत पुरानी है।
This picture is very old.
(yah tasviir bahut puraanii hai।)
दीवार पर एक तस्वीर टँगी है।
A picture is hanging on the wall.
(diivaar par ek tasviir tangii hai।)
मैंने अपने फ़ोन से उसकी तस्वीर खींची।
I took her picture with my phone.
(mainne apne fon se uskii tasviir khiinchii।)
क्या तुम मेरी एक तस्वीर खींच दोगे?
Will you take a picture of me?
(kyaa tum merii ek tasviir khiinch doge?)
अपनी तस्वीर मुझे भेज दो।
Send me your picture.
(apnii tasviir mujhe bhej do।)
वह हर हफ़्ते अपने बच्चों की तस्वीरें अपलोड करती है।
She uploads pictures of her kids every week.
(vah har hafte apne bachchon kii tasviiren aplod kartii hai।)
पुरानी तस्वीरें देखकर वह भावुक हो गया।
Looking at the old pictures, he got emotional.
(puraanii tasviiren dekhkar vah bhaavuk ho gayaa।)
अगर मेरे पास कैमरा होता, तो मैं यह तस्वीर ज़रूर लेता।
If I had a camera, I would definitely have taken this picture.
(agar mere paas kaimraa hotaa, to main yah tasviir zaroor letaa।)
इस चित्रकार की बनाई तस्वीर लाखों में बिकी।
This painter's picture sold for millions.
(is chitrkaar kii banaaii tasviir laakhon men bikii।)
प्रदर्शनी में उनकी तस्वीरें दिखाई जाएँगी।
Their pictures will be displayed at the exhibition.
(pradarshnii men unkii tasviiren dikhaaii jaaengii।)
शायद यह तस्वीर उसके दादा जी की हो।
This picture might be of his grandfather.
(shaayad yah tasviir uske daadaa jii kii ho।)
मेज़ पर रखी उस तस्वीर को ज़रा उठाओ।
Please pick up that picture kept on the table.
(mez par rakhii us tasviir ko zaraa uthaao।)
Sense
2
:
overall picture, situation, state of affairs (figurative)
noun, feminine Used the way English says 'the picture is clear now' or 'paints a picture' -- तस्वीर साफ़ होना (tasviir saaf honaa, for the picture/situation to become clear) is a very natural fixed pairing.
Synonyms: स्थिति (sthiti), हालत (haalat)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative use mirrors English closely -- 'the picture is becoming clear' -- so it is an easy sense for learners to pick up and start using confidently in discussions about news, politics, or personal situations.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes default to स्थिति (sthiti) or हालत (haalat) for 'situation' and miss that तस्वीर (tasviir) is the more vivid, idiomatic choice when describing how a situation looks or is emerging, e.g. in news or conversation about events unfolding.
Sample Sentences:
अभी तक तस्वीर साफ़ नहीं है कि हुआ क्या था।
So far, the picture is not clear about what actually happened.
(abhii tak tasviir saaf nahiin hai ki huaa kyaa thaa।)
चुनाव के नतीजों के बाद पूरी तस्वीर बदल गई।
After the election results, the whole picture changed.
(chunaav ke natiijon ke baad poorii tasviir badal gaii।)
जैसे-जैसे जांच आगे बढ़ रही है, तस्वीर धीरे-धीरे साफ़ हो रही है।
As the investigation moves forward, the picture is gradually becoming clear.
(jaise-jaise jaanch aage badh rahii hai, tasviir dhiire-dhiire saaf ho rahii hai।)
कंपनी की असली आर्थिक तस्वीर अगली रिपोर्ट में सामने आएगी।
The company's real financial picture will come to light in the next report.
(kampnii kii aslii aarthik tasviir aglii riport men saamne aaegii।)
अगर सब लोग सच बताते तो तस्वीर बिल्कुल अलग होती।
If everyone had told the truth, the picture would have been completely different.
(agar sab log sach bataate to tasviir bilkul alag hotii।)
पहले पूरी तस्वीर समझ लो, फिर कोई फ़ैसला करो।
First understand the whole picture, then make a decision.
(pahle poorii tasviir samajh lo, phir koii faislaa karo।)
हो सकता है असली तस्वीर इससे कहीं ज़्यादा गंभीर हो।
It's possible that the real picture is far more serious than this.
(ho saktaa hai aslii tasviir isse kahiin zyaadaa gambhiir ho।)
बजट पेश होने के बाद देश की आर्थिक तस्वीर साफ़ हो जाएगी।
After the budget is presented, the country's economic picture will become clear.
(bajat pesh hone ke baad desh kii aarthik tasviir saaf ho jaaegii।)
उसकी बातों से पूरे मामले की तस्वीर उभर कर सामने आई।
From what he said, the picture of the whole matter emerged clearly.
(uskii baaton se poore maamle kii tasviir ubhar kar saamne aaii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
तस्वीर
(tasviir)
(sg.f.oblique):
तस्वीर
(tasviir)
(pl.f.direct):
तस्वीरें
(tasviiren)
(pl.f.oblique):
तस्वीरों
(tasviiron)