दुनिया (duniyaa)

noun A very common feminine noun meaning 'world' -- used both literally (the physical/geographic world) and in frequent figurative/idiomatic senses (a social sphere, 'everyone', or a personal outlook).

Sense 1 : the world (physical/geographic or global sense)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: जगत (jagat, literary), विश्व (vishv, formal), संसार (sansaar, formal)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: दुनिया (duniyaa) is the word you will hear constantly in everyday Hindi -- in news, songs, and casual talk -- while विश्व (vishv) and संसार (sansaar) stay mostly in formal writing or official titles like विश्व बैंक (vishv baink, 'World Bank'). It comes from Arabic/Persian via Urdu, reflecting Delhi's long Indo-Persian linguistic heritage.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for विश्व (vishv) or संसार (sansaar) in everyday speech where a native speaker would simply say दुनिया (duniyaa) -- those alternatives sound bookish or formal by comparison. 2) दुनिया (duniyaa) is feminine, so adjectives and verbs agreeing with it take feminine forms, e.g. पूरी दुनिया (poorii duniyaa, 'the whole world'), not पूरा (pooraa).

Sample Sentences:

पूरी दुनिया में कोरोना फैल गया था। Corona had spread all over the world.

(poorii duniyaa men koronaa phail gayaa thaa।)

दुनिया गोल है। The world is round.

(duniyaa gol hai।)

वह दुनिया घूमने का सपना देखता है। He dreams of traveling the world.

(vah duniyaa ghoomne kaa sapnaa dekhtaa hai।)

अगर तुम्हारे पास पैसे होते, तो तुम पूरी दुनिया घूम लेते। If you had money, you would have traveled the whole world.

(agar tumhaare paas paise hote, to tum poorii duniyaa ghoom lete।)

दुनिया के सबसे ऊँचे पहाड़ हिमालय में हैं। The world's highest mountains are in the Himalayas.

(duniyaa ke sabse oonche pahaad himaalay men hain।)

वैज्ञानिकों का मानना है कि दुनिया अरबों साल पुरानी है। Scientists believe that the world is billions of years old.

(vaigyaanikon kaa maannaa hai ki duniyaa arbon saal puraanii hai।)

क्या तुमने कभी सोचा है कि दुनिया कैसे बनी होगी? Have you ever wondered how the world might have been formed?

(kyaa tumne kabhii sochaa hai ki duniyaa kaise banii hogii?)

अगर धरती का तापमान ऐसे ही बढ़ता रहा, तो दुनिया खतरे में पड़ जाएगी। If the earth's temperature keeps rising like this, the world will fall into danger.

(agar dhartii kaa taapmaan aise hii badhtaa rahaa, to duniyaa khatre men pad jaaegii।)

उपग्रह से दुनिया की तस्वीरें ली गईं। Pictures of the world were taken from the satellite.

(upagrah se duniyaa kii tasviiren lii gaiin।)

दुनिया देखने के लिए निकल पड़ो, बाद में पछताओगे नहीं। Set out to see the world; you won't regret it later.

(duniyaa dekhne ke lie nikal pado, baad men pachhtaaoge nahiin।)

प्राचीन काल में लोग समझते थे कि दुनिया चपटी है। In ancient times, people used to think the world was flat.

(praachiin kaal men log samajhte the ki duniyaa chaptii hai।)

Sense 2 : a social sphere or community of people ('everyone', 'people at large')

noun, feminine Often used with सारी (saarii) or पूरी (poorii) to mean 'everybody' -- सारी दुनिया जानती है (saarii duniyaa jaantii hai, 'everyone knows') -- functioning almost like an emphatic collective subject rather than a literal planet.

Synonyms: लोग (log)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the दुनिया (duniyaa) of gossip and reputation -- दुनिया क्या कहेगी (duniyaa kyaa kahegii, 'what will people/the world say') is a classic anxious refrain in Indian families about social judgment, capturing how strongly collective opinion is felt to weigh on personal choices.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners translate सारी दुनिया (saarii duniyaa) too literally as 'the whole planet' when it usually just means 'everybody' in context, similar to English 'the whole world is talking about it.'

Sample Sentences:

दुनिया क्या कहेगी? What will people say?

(duniyaa kyaa kahegii?)

मुझे इस बात की चिंता नहीं है कि दुनिया क्या सोचेगी। I don't care what people will think about this.

(mujhe is baat kii chintaa nahiin hai ki duniyaa kyaa sochegii।)

पूरी दुनिया जानती है कि वह कितना बेईमान है। Everyone knows how dishonest he is.

(poorii duniyaa jaantii hai ki vah kitnaa beiimaan hai।)

अगर तुमने ऐसा किया, तो दुनिया तुम्हें माफ नहीं करेगी। If you do that, the world will not forgive you.

(agar tumne aisaa kiyaa, to duniyaa tumhen maaph nahiin karegii।)

अगर मैं वह नौकरी छोड़ देता, तो दुनिया क्या कहती? If I had quit that job, what would people have said?

(agar main vah naukrii chhod detaa, to duniyaa kyaa kahtii?)

दुनिया को अपनी जिंदगी में मत घुसने दो। Don't let people interfere in your life.

(duniyaa ko apnii jindgii men mat ghusne do।)

उसकी शादी टूटने की खबर पूरी दुनिया में फैल गई। The news of her marriage breaking up spread among everyone.

(uskii shaadii tootne kii khabar poorii duniyaa men phail gaii।)

शायद दुनिया गलत हो, पर मुझे अपने फैसले पर भरोसा है। Maybe everyone is wrong, but I trust my decision.

(shaayad duniyaa galat ho, par mujhe apne phaisle par bharosaa hai।)

जब यह राज़ खुलेगा, तब दुनिया में तूफान आ जाएगा। When this secret comes out, everyone will be in an uproar.

(jab yah raaz khulegaa, tab duniyaa men toophaan aa jaaegaa।)

इस मुहल्ले में सबकी जिंदगी दुनिया की निगाहों में रहती है। In this neighborhood, everyone's life stays under the eyes of the community.

(is muhalle men sabkii jindgii duniyaa kii nigaahon men rahtii hai।)

माँ को हमेशा यही डर सताता है कि दुनिया क्या कहेगी। Mother is always tormented by this same fear of what people will say.

(maan ko hameshaa yahii dar sataataa hai ki duniyaa kyaa kahegii।)

Sense 3 : a particular domain, sphere, or way of life (figurative 'world of...')

noun, feminine Used in phrases like अपनी दुनिया में खोया रहना (apnii duniyaa men khoyaa rahnaa, 'to stay lost in one's own world'), where दुनिया (duniyaa) means a personal mental/emotional space rather than a literal place.

Synonyms: जगत (jagat, used in compounds like फ़िल्म जगत (film jagat, 'film world'))

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This figurative sense shows up in everyday emotional talk: someone described as अपनी दुनिया में रहना (apnii duniyaa men rahnaa, 'to live in one's own world') is seen as absorbed, distracted, or a bit of a daydreamer -- a gently affectionate or mildly critical remark depending on tone.

Sample Sentences:

वह हमेशा अपनी दुनिया में रहता है। He always lives in his own world.

(vah hameshaa apnii duniyaa men rahtaa hai।)

फिल्मों की दुनिया बहुत चमक-दमक वाली लगती है, पर अंदर से मुश्किल है। The world of films looks very glamorous, but it's tough from the inside.

(philmon kii duniyaa bahut chamak-damak vaalii lagtii hai, par andar se mushkil hai।)

जब से उसने गाना छोड़ा है, वह अपनी अलग दुनिया में खो गई है। Ever since she quit singing, she's gotten lost in her own separate world.

(jab se usne gaanaa chhodaa hai, vah apnii alag duniyaa men kho gaii hai।)

बच्चों की दुनिया बड़ों की दुनिया से बिल्कुल अलग होती है। Children's world is completely different from the world of adults.

(bachchon kii duniyaa badon kii duniyaa se bilkul alag hotii hai।)

अपनी दुनिया में मत रहो, बाहर आओ और लोगों से मिलो। Don't stay lost in your own world, come out and meet people.

(apnii duniyaa men mat raho, baahar aao aur logon se milo।)

काश वह अपनी किताबों की दुनिया से बाहर निकल पाता। If only he could step out of his world of books.

(kaash vah apnii kitaabon kii duniyaa se baahar nikal paataa।)

अगर मैं कॉर्पोरेट दुनिया में नहीं आता, तो शायद कहीं और खुश होता। If I hadn't entered the corporate world, I might have been happier somewhere else.

(agar main korporet duniyaa men nahiin aataa, to shaayad kahiin aur khush hotaa।)

कला की दुनिया में सफलता के कोई तय नियम नहीं होते। In the world of art, there are no fixed rules for success.

(kalaa kii duniyaa men saphaltaa ke koii tay niyam nahiin hote।)

यह किताब पाठक को एक जादुई दुनिया में ले जाती है। This book takes the reader into a magical world.

(yah kitaab paathak ko ek jaaduii duniyaa men le jaatii hai।)

शायद वह इस दिखावे की दुनिया से थक चुकी हो। Maybe she has grown tired of this world of pretense.

(shaayad vah is dikhaave kii duniyaa se thak chukii ho।)

पत्रकारिता की दुनिया में सच बोलना आसान नहीं है। In the world of journalism, telling the truth isn't easy.

(patrkaaritaa kii duniyaa men sach bolnaa aasaan nahiin hai।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): दुनिया (duniyaa)

(sg.f.oblique): दुनिया (duniyaa)

(pl.f.direct): दुनियाएँ (duniyaaen)

(pl.f.oblique): दुनियाओं (duniyaaon)