शराब (sharaab)

noun A single, everyday sense: alcoholic drink/liquor in general. Ultimately from Persian/Arabic origin, now the ordinary Hindi word for 'liquor.'
Sense 1 : alcohol, liquor
noun, feminine
Synonyms: दारू (daaroo, colloquial), शराब-पानी (sharaab-paanii, colloquial), मद्य (mady, literary), मदिरा (madiraa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: शराब (sharaab) carries a mild social charge in many Indian households -- it is often spoken of in hushed or joking tones, especially around older relatives, reflecting broader ambivalence about drinking in Indian culture. You will hear it constantly in Bollywood song lyrics and dialogue, often paired with गम (gam, 'sorrow') as a classic trope of drowning one's troubles.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say पीना (piinaa) alone to mean 'to drink alcohol,' which is fine in context, but शराब पीना (sharaab piinaa, 'to drink alcohol') is the fuller, unambiguous phrase since पीना (piinaa) by itself just means 'to drink' (any liquid). 2) शराब (sharaab) is feminine, so watch adjective and verb agreement: अच्छी शराब (achchhii sharaab, 'good liquor'), not अच्छा शराब।
Sample Sentences:
वह रोज़ रात को शराब पीता है। He drinks liquor every night.
(vah roz raat ko sharaab piitaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पार्टी में सब लोग शराब पी रहे थे। Everyone at the party was drinking liquor.
(paartii men sab log sharaab pii rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने गम भुलाने के लिए शराब पी ली। He drank liquor to forget his sorrow.
(usne gam bhulaane ke lie sharaab pii lii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शराब मत पी, कल सुबह मीटिंग है। Don't drink liquor, there's a meeting tomorrow morning.
(sharaab mat pii, kal subah miiting hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतनी शराब न पीता तो उसकी तबीयत ठीक रहती। If he didn't drink so much liquor, he'd be in better health.
(agar vah itnii sharaab n piitaa to uskii tabiiyat thiik rahtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
घर में शराब लाना उसके पिता को बिल्कुल पसंद नहीं है। His father absolutely dislikes liquor being brought into the house.
(ghar men sharaab laanaa uske pitaa ko bilkul pasand nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी में शराब बेरोकटोक बहाई जा रही थी। Liquor was being poured freely at the wedding.
(shaadii men sharaab beroktok bahaaii jaa rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
शायद वह अब शराब छोड़ दे। Maybe he'll give up liquor now.
(shaayad vah ab sharaab chhod de।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इस राज्य में शराब पर भारी टैक्स लगाया गया है। A heavy tax has been imposed on liquor in this state.
(is raajy men sharaab par bhaarii taiks lagaayaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मुझे शराब में गम डूबता कभी सही नहीं लगा। Drowning sorrow in liquor never seemed right to me.
(mujhe sharaab men gam doobtaa kabhii sahii nahiin lagaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दादाजी के सामने शराब का नाम भी मत लेना। Don't even mention the word liquor in front of grandfather.
(daadaajii ke saamne sharaab kaa naam bhii mat lenaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
फिल्म के गाने में नायक शराब और गम की बात कर रहा है। In the film song, the hero is singing about liquor and sorrow.
(philm ke gaane men naayak sharaab aur gam kii baat kar rahaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): शराब (sharaab)
(sg.f.oblique): शराब (sharaab)
(pl.f.direct): शराबें (sharaaben)
(pl.f.oblique): शराबों (sharaabon)