छंद (chhand)
noun
Primarily a literary/prosodic term for a metrical verse form or poetic meter; also used more loosely to mean a stanza or a fixed rhythmic pattern in speech/poetry.
Sense
1
:
poetic meter / verse form
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पद्य (pady, verse in general), काव्य (kaavy, poetry, broader scope)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: छंद (chhand) is central to classical Hindi and Sanskrit poetics -- terms like दोहा (dohaa) and चौपाई (chaupaaii) are actually specific types of छंद (chhand). If you have read the Ramcharitmanas or Tulsidas, you have encountered these named meters constantly; a Hindi teacher will often introduce छंद (chhand) as the 'rulebook' behind traditional verse.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse छंद (chhand) with कविता (kavitaa) -- कविता (kavitaa) is the poem itself, while छंद (chhand) refers specifically to its metrical structure or the rules governing rhythm and syllable count. 2) The word is often mistaken as always meaning 'stanza,' but it more precisely denotes the metrical pattern a stanza follows, not the stanza as a block of text.
Sample Sentences:
तुलसीदास ने रामचरितमानस में कई छंदों का प्रयोग किया।
Tulsidas used many verse forms in the Ramcharitmanas.
(tulsiidaas ne raamachritmaanas men kaii chhandon kaa prayog kiyaa।)
दोहा और चौपाई दोनों ही प्रसिद्ध छंद हैं।
Both the doha and chaupai are famous poetic meters.
(dohaa aur chaupaaii donon hii prasiddh chhand hain।)
इस कविता में छंद की मात्राएँ ठीक से नहीं बैठी हैं।
The meter's syllabic counts don't fit properly in this poem.
(is kavitaa men chhand kii maatraaen thiik se nahiin baithii hain।)
गुरुजी हमें हर सप्ताह एक नया छंद सिखाते हैं।
The teacher teaches us a new poetic meter every week.
(gurujii hamen har saptaah ek nayaa chhand sikhaate hain।)
क्या तुम बता सकते हो कि यह पंक्ति किस छंद में लिखी गई है?
Can you tell me in which meter this line has been written?
(kyaa tum bataa sakte ho ki yah pankti kis chhand men likhii gaii hai?)
अगर कवि छंद के नियमों का पालन करता तो कविता और सुंदर होती।
If the poet had followed the rules of the meter, the poem would have been even more beautiful.
(agar kavi chhand ke niymon kaa paalan kartaa to kavitaa aur sundar hotii।)
छंद सीखने के लिए पहले उसकी मात्राएँ समझो।
To learn meter, first understand its syllabic weights.
(chhand siikhne ke lie pahle uskii maatraaen samjho।)
संभव है कि यह छंद वीर रस के लिए ही रचा गया हो।
It's possible that this meter was composed specifically for the heroic sentiment.
(sambhav hai ki yah chhand viir ras ke lie hii rachaa gayaa ho।)
प्राचीन काल में कई छंदों की रचना संस्कृत में हुई थी।
In ancient times, many meters were composed in Sanskrit.
(praachiin kaal men kaii chhandon kii rachnaa sanskrit men huii thii।)
विद्यार्थी परीक्षा में छंद पहचानने में अक्सर भूल कर बैठते हैं।
Students often end up making mistakes in identifying the meter during exams.
(vidyaarthii pariikshaa men chhand pahchaanne men aksar bhool kar baithte hain।)
Sense
2
:
rhythmic pattern / cadence (extended sense)
noun, masculine Used when describing the rhythmic quality of speech, chanting, or even ordinary phrasing that has a sing-song cadence, without referring to a formally named classical meter.
Synonyms: लय (lay, rhythm/flow, broader musical sense)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You will hear this extended sense when someone praises how a speech or bhajan flows -- इसमें एक अलग छंद है (ismen ek alag chhand hai, 'it has a certain rhythm to it') -- even if no one could name the actual meter being used.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी बातचीत में एक अलग छंद है।
There's a certain rhythm to the way he talks.
(uskii baatchiit men ek alag chhand hai।)
इस भजन में एक अलग ही छंद है, सुनते ही मन शांत हो जाता है।
This bhajan has such a distinct cadence to it -- as soon as you hear it, your mind settles.
(is bhajan men ek alag hii chhand hai, sunte hii man shaant ho jaataa hai।)
भाषण में छंद तो था, पर बात में दम नहीं था।
The speech had a certain rhythm, but there wasn't much substance to it.
(bhaashan men chhand to thaa, par baat men dam nahiin thaa।)
काश उसकी आवाज़ में भी वही छंद होता जो उसके गुरु की आवाज़ में था।
I wish his voice had the same cadence his teacher's voice used to have.
(kaash uskii aavaaz men bhii vahii chhand hotaa jo uske guru kii aavaaz men thaa।)
जरा ध्यान से सुनो, इस कव्वाली का छंद कमाल का है।
Listen carefully -- the rhythm of this qawwali is amazing.
(jaraa dhyaan se suno, is kavvaalii kaa chhand kamaal kaa hai।)
हो सकता है इस कविता को इतना पसंद किया जाना उसके छंद की वजह से हो।
It's possible this poem is being liked so much because of its cadence.
(ho saktaa hai is kavitaa ko itnaa pasand kiyaa jaanaa uske chhand kii vajah se ho।)
उस्ताद जी की तान में जो छंद था, वह फिर कभी नहीं सुना।
The cadence that was in the ustad's melodic phrase -- I never heard anything like it again.
(ustaad jii kii taan men jo chhand thaa, vah phir kabhii nahiin sunaa।)
यह गीत ऐसे गाया जाना चाहिए कि उसका छंद टूटे नहीं।
This song should be sung in such a way that its rhythm doesn't break.
(yah giit aise gaayaa jaanaa chaahie ki uskaa chhand toote nahiin।)
जब वह मंच पर बोलता है तो उसकी हर लाइन में एक छंद बना रहता है।
Whenever he speaks on stage, every line of his keeps a kind of rhythm going.
(jab vah manch par boltaa hai to uskii har laain men ek chhand banaa rahtaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
छंद
(chhand)
(sg.m.oblique):
छंद
(chhand)
(pl.m.direct):
छंद
(chhand)
(pl.m.oblique):
छंदों
(chhandon)