निबंध (nibandh)

noun A single-sense word: an essay or written composition, most commonly encountered in a school/academic context.
Sense 1 : essay, written composition
noun, masculine
Synonyms: लेख (lekh, article/essay, broader use), रचना (rachnaa, literary composition)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Ask any Hindi-medium school kid and निबंध (nibandh) means one thing: the dreaded essay assignment, often on topics like 'मेरा प्रिय मित्र' (meraa priy mitr, 'my favorite friend') or 'दीवाली' (diivaalii, 'Diwali'). It carries a slightly formal, academic flavor -- you would not use it for a casual note or message.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse निबंध (nibandh) with लेख (lekh) -- लेख (lekh) covers newspaper articles and shorter pieces too, while निबंध (nibandh) is specifically the school-essay or formal-composition sense. 2) The verb typically paired with it is लिखना (likhnaa) ('to write'), not बनाना (banaanaa) -- 'निबंध बनाना' (nibandh banaanaa) sounds off to a native ear.
Sample Sentences:
अध्यापक ने हमें दस पंक्तियों का निबंध लिखने को कहा। The teacher asked us to write a ten-line essay.
(adhyaapak ne hamen das panktiyon kaa nibandh likhne ko kahaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कल हमारी हिंदी की कक्षा में 'दीवाली' पर निबंध लिखा जाएगा। Tomorrow an essay on 'Diwali' will be written in our Hindi class.
(kal hamaarii hindii kii kakshaa men 'diivaalii' par nibandh likhaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
वह हर हफ्ते एक नया निबंध लिखता है। He writes a new essay every week.
(vah har haphte ek nayaa nibandh likhtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपना निबंध कल तक जमा कर दो। Submit your essay by tomorrow.
(apnaa nibandh kal tak jamaa kar do।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मैं 'मेरा प्रिय मित्र' पर निबंध लिख रही हूँ। I am writing an essay on 'My Favorite Friend'.
(main 'meraa priy mitr' par nibandh likh rahii hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैंने अपना निबंध समय पर पूरा किया होता। I wish I had finished my essay on time.
(kaash mainne apnaa nibandh samay par pooraa kiyaa hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम मन लगाकर पढ़ते, तो निबंध इतना कठिन नहीं लगता। If you had studied attentively, the essay wouldn't have seemed so hard.
(agar tum man lagaakar padhte, to nibandh itnaa kathin nahiin lagtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
प्रधानाचार्य ने अनुरोध किया कि प्रत्येक छात्र अपना निबंध स्वयं लिखे। The principal requested that each student write their essay themselves.
(pradhaanaachaary ne anurodh kiyaa ki pratyek chhaatr apnaa nibandh svayan likhe।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसका निबंध प्रतियोगिता में सबसे अच्छा माना गया। His essay was considered the best in the competition.
(uskaa nibandh pratiyogitaa men sabse achchhaa maanaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
इस विषय पर एक विस्तृत निबंध पत्रिका में प्रकाशित हुआ था। A detailed essay on this subject had been published in the magazine.
(is vishay par ek vistrit nibandh patrikaa men prakaashit huaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): निबंध (nibandh)
(sg.m.oblique): निबंध (nibandh)
(pl.m.direct): निबंध (nibandh)
(pl.m.oblique): निबंधों (nibandhon)