ज़ुकाम (zukaam)
noun
A single-sense everyday noun meaning 'a cold' (the common respiratory ailment) -- almost always paired with the verb होना (honaa) in a dative-subject construction.
Sense
1
:
common cold (illness)
noun, masculine Almost always used with को + होना: मुझे ज़ुकाम है (mujhe zukaam hai, 'I have a cold') -- the person is the dative subject, not the grammatical subject.
Synonyms: सर्दी (sardii, also means 'coldness/winter', context decides sense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every Hindi-speaking household has a go-to home remedy for ज़ुकाम (zukaam) -- adrak (adrak, ginger) tea, haldii doodh (haldii doodh, turmeric milk), or steam inhalation -- before anyone reaches for medicine. You will often hear people describe the whole cluster of cold symptoms together as ज़ुकाम-खांसी (zukaam-khaansii, 'cold and cough') as if it is one combined ailment.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैं ज़ुकाम हूँ (main zukaam hoon) by analogy with English 'I am having a cold' -- correct is मुझे ज़ुकाम है (mujhe zukaam hai). 2) सर्दी (sardii) is often used interchangeably in casual speech for 'a cold', but it also means 'winter/coldness' -- ज़ुकाम (zukaam) is unambiguous for the illness itself. 3) The nuqta in ज़ुकाम (zukaam) is often dropped in casual writing as जुकाम (jukaam); both are understood, but ज़ुकाम (zukaam) is the fuller, more careful spelling reflecting its Persian-via-Urdu origin.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे ज़ुकाम हो गया है।
I've caught a cold.
(mujhe zukaam ho gayaa hai।)
सर्दियों में उसे हर साल ज़ुकाम हो जाता है।
He gets a cold every year in winter.
(sardiyon men use har saal zukaam ho jaataa hai।)
बच्चे को ज़ुकाम-खांसी हो रही है, डॉक्टर को दिखा लो।
The child has a cold and cough, take him to the doctor.
(bachche ko zukaam-khaansii ho rahii hai, doktar ko dikhaa lo।)
अगर बारिश में भीगोगे तो ज़ुकाम हो जाएगा।
If you get soaked in the rain, you'll catch a cold.
(agar baarish men bhiigoge to zukaam ho jaaegaa।)
अगर मैं गरम कपड़े पहनता तो ज़ुकाम नहीं होता।
If I had worn warm clothes, I wouldn't have caught a cold.
(agar main garam kapde pahantaa to zukaam nahiin hotaa।)
ज़ुकाम में अदरक की चाय पी लो, आराम मिलेगा।
Drink ginger tea when you have a cold, it'll give you relief.
(zukaam men adrak kii chaay pii lo, aaraam milegaa।)
उसे इतना तेज़ ज़ुकाम हुआ कि आवाज़ ही चली गई।
He caught such a bad cold that he completely lost his voice.
(use itnaa tez zukaam huaa ki aavaaz hii chalii gaii।)
शायद उसे ज़ुकाम हो, इसलिए वह छींक रहा है।
Maybe he has a cold, that's why he's sneezing.
(shaayad use zukaam ho, islie vah chhiink rahaa hai।)
ज़ुकाम में हल्दी दूध पीने की सलाह दी जाती है।
Turmeric milk is recommended for a cold.
(zukaam men haldii doodh piine kii salaah dii jaatii hai।)
डॉक्टर साहब, मुझे कई दिनों से ज़ुकाम है और बुखार भी हो गया है।
Doctor, I've had a cold for several days now and a fever has also set in.
(doktar saahab, mujhe kaii dinon se zukaam hai aur bukhaar bhii ho gayaa hai।)
काश मुझे ज़ुकाम न होता, कल इंटरव्यू है।
I wish I didn't have a cold, I have an interview tomorrow.
(kaash mujhe zukaam n hotaa, kal intravyoo hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ज़ुकाम
(zukaam)
(sg.m.oblique):
ज़ुकाम
(zukaam)
(pl.m.direct):
ज़ुकाम
(zukaam)
(pl.m.oblique):
ज़ुकामों
(zukaamon)