समझ (samajh)
noun
Primarily a feminine noun meaning 'understanding' or 'sense', and also the bare stem used as the base for the common verb समझना (samajhnaa, 'to understand'); this entry covers the noun sense and the closely related verb sense built directly on this stem.
Sense
1
:
understanding, comprehension, sense
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बुद्धि (buddhi, formal), सूझ-बूझ (soojh-boojh, practical wisdom), अक्ल (akl)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The idiom समझ में आना (samajh men aanaa, 'to come into one's understanding') is the everyday way Hindi speakers say 'I understand' or 'it makes sense' -- notice that understanding is framed as something that arrives into you, much like sleep in नींद आना (niind aanaa), rather than something you actively do. You'll hear parents scold kids with इतनी भी समझ नहीं है? (itnii bhii samajh nahiin hai?, 'don't you even have that much sense?') across Delhi households.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बुद्धि (buddhi) when समझ (samajh) is more natural in everyday speech; बुद्धि (buddhi) sounds more formal/academic, like 'intellect', while समझ (samajh) is what you'd use for ordinary practical understanding. 2) In phrases like मेरी समझ में नहीं आता (merii samajh men nahiin aataa, 'it doesn't come into my understanding' i.e. 'I don't get it'), the verb is आना (aanaa) not समझना (samajhnaa) -- learners try to force the verb समझना (samajhnaa) into this frame and get the construction wrong.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे तुम्हारी बात समझ में आ गई।
I understood what you said.
(mujhe tumhaarii baat samajh men aa gaii।)
क्या तुम्हें यह सवाल समझ में आता है?
Do you understand this question?
(kyaa tumhen yah savaal samajh men aataa hai?)
इतनी भी समझ नहीं है तुझे?
Don't you even have that much sense?
(itnii bhii samajh nahiin hai tujhe?)
अगर उसे थोड़ी भी समझ होती, तो वह ऐसा नहीं करता।
If he had even a little sense, he wouldn't have done this.
(agar use thodii bhii samajh hotii, to vah aisaa nahiin kartaa।)
बच्चे की समझ उम्र के साथ बढ़ती जाती है।
A child's understanding grows with age.
(bachche kii samajh umr ke saath badhtii jaatii hai।)
यह मसला मेरी समझ से बाहर है।
This matter is beyond my understanding.
(yah maslaa merii samajh se baahar hai।)
उसने अपनी समझ के हिसाब से सही फैसला लिया।
He made the right decision according to his understanding.
(usne apnii samajh ke hisaab se sahii phaislaa liyaa।)
उम्मीद है कि तुम्हें अब बात समझ में आ जाएगी।
I hope you'll understand the matter now.
(ummiid hai ki tumhen ab baat samajh men aa jaaegii।)
थोड़ी समझ से काम लो, वरना नुकसान हो जाएगा।
Act with a bit of sense, or you'll suffer a loss.
(thodii samajh se kaam lo, varnaa nuksaan ho jaaegaa।)
मानव की समझ की एक सीमा होती है, जिसे विज्ञान लगातार चुनौती देता रहा है।
Human understanding has a limit, one that science has continuously challenged.
(maanav kii samajh kii ek siimaa hotii hai, jise vigyaan lagaataar chunautii detaa rahaa hai।)
शायद उसे अभी तक पूरी बात समझ में न आई हो।
Perhaps he still hasn't fully understood the matter.
(shaayad use abhii tak poorii baat samajh men n aaii ho।)
Sense
2
:
opinion, way of thinking, judgment
noun, feminine Used in the construction ...की समझ से (kii samajh se, 'in ...'s view/opinion'), e.g. मेरी समझ से (merii samajh se, 'in my view').
Synonyms: राय (raay), नज़रिया (nazriyaa, perspective)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: मेरी समझ से (merii samajh se, 'in my view') is a softer, more conversational way to preface an opinion than मेरे विचार से (mere vichaar se, 'in my opinion'), which leans a touch more formal.
Common Mistakes: 1) मेरी समझ से (merii samajh se) means 'in my opinion/as I understand it', not 'in my understanding' in the comprehension sense -- learners sometimes confuse this with the core 'understanding' sense above when it is really closer to a personal viewpoint or judgment call.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी समझ से यह फैसला सही नहीं है।
In my view, this decision is not right.
(merii samajh se yah phaislaa sahii nahiin hai।)
उसकी समझ से यह काम कल तक पूरा हो जाना चाहिए था।
In his view, this work should have been finished by yesterday.
(uskii samajh se yah kaam kal tak pooraa ho jaanaa chaahie thaa।)
मेरी समझ से तो हमें अभी कोई फैसला नहीं लेना चाहिए।
In my opinion, we shouldn't make any decision right now.
(merii samajh se to hamen abhii koii phaislaa nahiin lenaa chaahie।)
हर किसी की अपनी समझ होती है, इसलिए राय अलग-अलग रहेंगी।
Everyone has their own way of thinking, so opinions will differ.
(har kisii kii apnii samajh hotii hai, islie raay alag-alag rahengii।)
अगर आप मेरी समझ जानना चाहें, तो मैं इस योजना के खिलाफ हूँ।
If you want to know my view, I am against this plan.
(agar aap merii samajh jaannaa chaahen, to main is yojnaa ke khilaaph hoon।)
समिति के सदस्यों ने अपनी-अपनी समझ के अनुसार सुझाव दिए।
The committee members gave suggestions according to their own views.
(samiti ke sadasyon ne apnii-apnii samajh ke anusaar sujhaav die।)
मेरी समझ से बेहतर होगा कि हम बाद में बात करें।
In my view, it would be better if we talked later.
(merii samajh se behtar hogaa ki ham baad men baat karen।)
क्या तुम्हारी समझ से यह विज्ञापन असरदार होगा?
In your opinion, will this advertisement be effective?
(kyaa tumhaarii samajh se yah vigyaapan asardaar hogaa?)
अगर उसकी समझ इतनी संकुचित न होती, तो वह इस मामले को बेहतर तरीके से देख पाता।
If his view weren't so narrow, he would have been able to see this matter better.
(agar uskii samajh itnii sankuchit n hotii, to vah is maamle ko behtar tariike se dekh paataa।)
आलोचकों की समझ में यह फिल्म एक बड़ी उपलब्धि है।
In the critics' view, this film is a great achievement.
(aalochkon kii samajh men yah philm ek badii uplabdhi hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
समझ
(samajh)
(sg.f.oblique):
समझ
(samajh)
(pl.f.direct):
समझें
(samjhen)
(pl.f.oblique):
समझों
(samjhon)