वादा (vaadaa)

noun One core meaning: a promise or pledge. Almost always paired with the verbs करना (karnaa, to make) and निभाना (nibhaanaa, to keep/fulfill).
Sense 1 : promise, pledge
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रतिज्ञा (pratigyaa, formal), कसम (kasam, more like 'oath, swear')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: वादा (vaadaa) carries real emotional weight in Hindi -- breaking one (वादा तोड़ना, vaadaa todnaa, 'to break a promise') is treated as a serious betrayal of trust, especially in family and romantic contexts, and shows up constantly in Bollywood songs and dialogue about love and loyalty. It is a Persian-origin word, completely naturalized into everyday Hindi.
Common Mistakes: 1) वादा (vaadaa) pairs with करना (karnaa) to mean 'make a promise' -- learners sometimes reach for बनाना (banaanaa) by analogy with English 'make', which is wrong here. 2) To talk about keeping a promise, use निभाना (nibhaanaa) or पूरा करना (pooraa karnaa), not रखना (rakhnaa) as a direct calque of 'keep'. 3) The person promised to is marked with से (se): मुझसे वादा किया (mujhse vaadaa kiyaa, 'promised me'), not को (ko).
Sample Sentences:
मुझसे वादा करो कि तुम हमेशा साथ रहोगे। Promise me that you will always stay with me.
(mujhse vaadaa karo ki tum hameshaa saath rahoge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसने अपना वादा तोड़ दिया और मैं बहुत आहत हुई। He broke his promise, and I was deeply hurt.
(usne apnaa vaadaa tod diyaa aur main bahut aahat huii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मैं तुमसे वादा करता हूँ कि यह बात किसी को नहीं बताऊँगा। I promise you that I won't tell anyone this.
(main tumse vaadaa kartaa hoon ki yah baat kisii ko nahiin bataaoongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम वादा निभाते तो आज हम साथ होते। If you had kept your promise, we would be together today.
(agar tum vaadaa nibhaate to aaj ham saath hote।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम अपना वादा निभाओगे? Will you keep your promise?
(kyaa tum apnaa vaadaa nibhaaoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि इस बार सरकार अपना वादा पूरा करे। Hopefully, this time the government fulfills its promise.
(ummiid hai ki is baar sarkaar apnaa vaadaa pooraa kare।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मंत्री जी ने जनता से किया वादा पूरा नहीं किया। The minister did not fulfill the promise he made to the public.
(mantrii jii ne jantaa se kiyaa vaadaa pooraa nahiin kiyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह वादा तुम्हें निभाना ही होगा, चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए। You will have to keep this promise, whatever happens.
(yah vaadaa tumhen nibhaanaa hii hogaa, chaahe kuchh bhii ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वादों से भरी वो रात आज भी मुझे याद है। That night full of promises, I still remember it today.
(vaadon se bharii vo raat aaj bhii mujhe yaad hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हमारे बीच जो वादा था, उसे तोड़ा नहीं जाएगा। The promise that was between us will not be broken.
(hamaare biich jo vaadaa thaa, use todaa nahiin jaaegaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
बच्चे ने माँ से वादा किया कि वह रोज़ पढ़ाई करेगा। The child promised his mother that he would study every day.
(bachche ne maan se vaadaa kiyaa ki vah roz padhaaii karegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): वादा (vaadaa)
(sg.m.oblique): वादे (vaade)
(pl.m.direct): वादे (vaade)
(pl.m.oblique): वादों (vaadon)