जोश (josh)

noun जोश (josh) is a noun meaning passion, zeal, or excitement -- the surge of emotional energy behind enthusiastic or fervent action. One core sense, frequently found in set phrases and idioms.
Sense 1 : passion, zeal, fervor, excitement
noun, masculine
Synonyms: उत्साह (utsaah), जज़्बा (jazbaa), उमंग (umang, more about lighthearted excitement), जुनून (junoon, leans toward obsessive passion)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: जोश (josh) is the word you'll hear shouted at cricket matches, in army recruitment ads, and in pep talks -- it carries a sense of blood pumping, chest puffing enthusiasm rather than quiet contentment. The famous pairing जोश में होश खोना (josh men hosh khonaa, 'to lose your senses in the heat of passion') captures a very Hindi moral warning: raw जोश (josh) without होश (hosh, good sense) is dangerous -- a frame you'll meet often in advice from elders.
Common Mistakes: 1) जोश (josh) is almost always used with होना (honaa) or आना (aanaa) -- जोश होना (josh honaa) for a state of enthusiasm, जोश आना (josh aanaa) for enthusiasm surging up in someone, often with a को-marked experiencer: उसे जोश आ गया (use josh aa gayaa, 'he got fired up'). Learners sometimes try to make the person the subject with है (hai) instead. 2) Don't confuse with होश (hosh, 'senses/consciousness') -- the pair जोश-ओ-होश (josh-o-hosh) plays on this contrast, and mixing up the two words is a classic slip.
Sample Sentences:
टीम के खिलाड़ी बहुत जोश में हैं। The team's players are full of enthusiasm.
(tiim ke khilaadii bahut josh men hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने पूरे जोश से भाषण दिया। He gave the speech with full passion.
(usne poore josh se bhaashan diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जोश में होश मत खोइए। Don't lose your good sense in the heat of passion.
(josh men hosh mat khoie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
सैनिक जोश से भरे नारे लगा रहे थे। The soldiers were shouting slogans full of zeal.
(sainik josh se bhare naare lagaa rahe the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर उसमें इतना जोश न होता तो वह कभी यह मुकाम हासिल न कर पाता। If he hadn't had so much passion, he would never have reached this position.
(agar usmen itnaa josh n hotaa to vah kabhii yah mukaam haasil n kar paataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
काश मुझमें भी उतना ही जोश होता। I wish I had that much passion too.
(kaash mujhmen bhii utnaa hii josh hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्रिकेट मैच में दर्शकों का जोश देखने लायक था। The crowd's enthusiasm at the cricket match was worth watching.
(kriket maich men darshkon kaa josh dekhne laayak thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब तक जोश है, तब तक कुछ भी मुश्किल नहीं लगता। As long as there's passion, nothing seems difficult.
(jab tak josh hai, tab tak kuchh bhii mushkil nahiin lagtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फौज में भर्ती होने के लिए जोश और जज़्बा दोनों ज़रूरी हैं। To join the army, both zeal and spirit are necessary.
(phauj men bhartii hone ke lie josh aur jazbaa donon zaroorii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
युवाओं को इस मुश्किल समय में भी अपना जोश बनाए रखना चाहिए। Young people should keep up their zeal even in this difficult time.
(yuvaaon ko is mushkil samay men bhii apnaa josh banaae rakhnaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
कोच के भाषण से खिलाड़ियों में नया जोश भर दिया गया। New zeal was infused into the players by the coach's speech.
(koch ke bhaashan se khilaadiyon men nayaa josh bhar diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): जोश (josh)
(sg.m.oblique): जोश (josh)
(pl.m.direct): जोश (josh)
(pl.m.oblique): जोशों (joshon)