साँप (saamp)

noun A single-sense concrete noun: 'snake.' It shows up constantly in idioms about danger, fear, and stinginess, all noted below.
Sense 1 : snake
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सर्प (sarp, literary), नाग (naag, often refers to a cobra or a snake revered/worshipped)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: साँप (saamp) is at the heart of some very common idioms: साँप सूंघ जाना (saamp soongh jaanaa, 'to be struck speechless,' literally 'as if a snake bit/sniffed [someone]') describes someone gone suddenly silent or stunned, and साँप को दूध पिलाना (saamp ko doodh pilaanaa, 'to nurture an enemy,' literally 'to feed milk to a snake') warns against helping someone who will only turn on you. Snakes are also culturally significant beyond fear -- they are worshipped during Nag Panchami -- so साँप (saamp) carries both a dread and a reverence in everyday speech and story-telling.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes write or say साँप (saamp) without the chandrabindu nasalization, which changes the sound and looks like a spelling mistake to a native reader -- the nasal vowel is essential. 2) Do not confuse with सांड (saand, 'bull') -- similar consonant skeleton, completely different animal.
Sample Sentences:
बगीचे में एक साँप निकला। A snake appeared in the garden.
(bagiiche men ek saamp niklaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसे साँप देखकर साँप सूंघ गया। He was struck speechless after seeing the snake.
(use saamp dekhkar saamp soongh gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गाँव में लोग साँपों से बहुत डरते हैं। In the village, people are very afraid of snakes.
(gaanv men log saampon se bahut darte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सावधान रहो, घास में साँप हो सकता है। Be careful, there might be a snake in the grass.
(saavdhaan raho, ghaas men saamp ho saktaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम उस आदमी की मदद करोगे, तो यह साँप को दूध पिलाने जैसा होगा। If you help that man, it will be like feeding milk to a snake.
(agar tum us aadmii kii madad karoge, to yah saamp ko doodh pilaane jaisaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
नागपंचमी के दिन साँप की पूजा की जाती है। On the day of Nag Panchami, the snake is worshipped.
(naagpanchmii ke din saamp kii poojaa kii jaatii hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पेड़ के नीचे एक साँप कुंडली मारे बैठा था। A snake was sitting coiled up under the tree.
(ped ke niiche ek saamp kundlii maare baithaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह साँप को छेड़ता, तो ज़रूर काट लेता। If he had provoked the snake, it would surely have bitten him.
(agar vah saamp ko chhedtaa, to zaroor kaat letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
काश, साँप इतनी जल्दी न भागता, तो हम उसे पकड़ लेते। If only the snake hadn't run away so fast, we would have caught it.
(kaash, saamp itnii jaldii n bhaagtaa, to ham use pakad lete।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह सुनकर मंत्री साँप सूंघ जाने की तरह चुप हो गया। Hearing this, the minister fell silent as if struck dumb.
(yah sunkar mantrii saamp soongh jaane kii tarah chup ho gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जंगल के रास्ते में सतर्क रहना, कहीं साँप न मिल जाए। Stay alert on the forest path, in case you run into a snake.
(jangal ke raaste men satark rahnaa, kahiin saamp n mil jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): साँप (saamp)
(sg.m.oblique): साँप (saamp)
(pl.m.direct): साँप (saamp)
(pl.m.oblique): साँपों (saampon)