इलाज (ilaaj)

noun A single-sense everyday word meaning medical treatment or cure; also used figuratively for a 'fix' to a problem.
Sense 1 : medical treatment, cure
noun, masculine
Synonyms: उपचार (upchaar, formal), चिकित्सा (chikitsaa, formal), दवा-दारू (davaa-daaroo, colloquial)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear इलाज कराना (ilaaj karaanaa) constantly in daily talk, whether about a cold or a major surgery, because Hindi frames getting treated as something you 'have done' for you (a causative-flavored construction) rather than something you do yourself. It also extends nicely into metaphor: किसी समस्या का इलाज (kisii samasyaa kaa ilaaj, 'a fix for a problem') treats a snag in life like an ailment needing a cure.
Common Mistakes: 1) इलाज (ilaaj) pairs with कराना (karaanaa) when you get treated by someone else -- इलाज कराना (ilaaj karaanaa, 'to get treatment done') -- not करना (karnaa), which would suggest you yourself are performing the treatment. 2) The doctor is marked with से (se): डॉक्टर से इलाज कराया (doktar se ilaaj karaayaa, 'got treated by the doctor'), not को (ko).
Sample Sentences:
उसका इलाज एक बड़े अस्पताल में चल रहा है। His treatment is going on in a big hospital.
(uskaa ilaaj ek bade asptaal men chal rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे अपने दांत का इलाज कराना है। I need to get my tooth treated.
(mujhe apne daant kaa ilaaj karaanaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपनी बीमारी का इलाज करवाया। She got her illness treated.
(usne apnii biimaarii kaa ilaaj karvaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर साहब, कृपया मेरे पिता का इलाज कीजिए। Doctor sir, please treat my father.
(doktar saahab, kripyaa mere pitaa kaa ilaaj kiijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर पैसे होते तो मैं उसका इलाज विदेश में करवाता। If I had had money, I would have gotten his treatment done abroad.
(agar paise hote to main uskaa ilaaj videsh men karvaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस बीमारी का इलाज अभी तक नहीं मिला है। A cure for this disease has not been found yet.
(is biimaarii kaa ilaaj abhii tak nahiin milaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद उसका इलाज किसी अच्छे डॉक्टर से हो जाए। Maybe her treatment will happen through some good doctor.
(shaayad uskaa ilaaj kisii achchhe doktar se ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
गरीब मरीजों का इलाज इस अस्पताल में मुफ्त किया जाता है। Poor patients are treated for free in this hospital.
(gariib mariijon kaa ilaaj is asptaal men mupht kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पिछले साल उसका इलाज बहुत महंगा पड़ा था। Last year, his treatment turned out to be very expensive.
(pichhle saal uskaa ilaaj bahut mahangaa padaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जब तक सही इलाज नहीं मिलेगा, दर्द कम नहीं होगा। Until proper treatment is found, the pain will not decrease.
(jab tak sahii ilaaj nahiin milegaa, dard kam nahiin hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वह अपने बेटे का इलाज कराने के लिए दिल्ली आई थी। She had come to Delhi to get her son treated.
(vah apne bete kaa ilaaj karaane ke lie dillii aaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : solution, remedy (figurative)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: हल (hal), समाधान (samaadhaan, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Said of a stubborn problem rather than a body -- कोई इलाज नहीं (koii ilaaj nahiin, 'there's no fix for this') is a common resigned shrug you'll hear about everything from traffic to a difficult relative.
Sample Sentences:
इस समस्या का कोई इलाज नहीं है। There's no fix for this problem.
(is samasyaa kaa koii ilaaj nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी आदतों का कोई इलाज नहीं है, भाई। There's no fixing his habits, man.
(uskii aadton kaa koii ilaaj nahiin hai, bhaaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दिल्ली के ट्रैफिक का कोई इलाज नहीं है। There's no solution for Delhi traffic.
(dillii ke traiphik kaa koii ilaaj nahiin hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश इस बेरोज़गारी का कोई इलाज होता। I wish there were some remedy for this unemployment.
(kaash is berozgaarii kaa koii ilaaj hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर उसका गुस्सा इतना तेज़ न होता, तो इस झगड़े का इलाज मिल जाता। If his temper weren't so quick, a solution to this quarrel would have been found.
(agar uskaa gussaa itnaa tez n hotaa, to is jhagde kaa ilaaj mil jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
सरकार को महंगाई का कोई इलाज ढूँढना चाहिए। The government should find some solution to inflation.
(sarkaar ko mahangaaii kaa koii ilaaj dhoondhnaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हर मुश्किल का कोई न कोई इलाज होता है। Every difficulty has some solution or other.
(har mushkil kaa koii n koii ilaaj hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी ज़िद का इलाज सिर्फ़ वक़्त ही निकाल सकता है। Only time can come up with a fix for his stubbornness.
(uskii zid kaa ilaaj sirf vaqt hii nikaal saktaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस पुरानी दुश्मनी का इलाज अब तक नहीं मिला। No solution to this old enmity has been found yet.
(is puraanii dushmnii kaa ilaaj ab tak nahiin milaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): इलाज (ilaaj)
(sg.m.oblique): इलाज (ilaaj)
(pl.m.direct): इलाज (ilaaj)
(pl.m.oblique): इलाजों (ilaajon)