प्रदर्शन (pradarshan)
noun
A Sanskrit-derived word with two main strands: a public protest/demonstration, and a performance/exhibition/display of something (an artist's performance, a product's performance, or a show of goods).
Sense
1
:
protest, demonstration
noun, masculine
Synonyms: विरोध (virodh, often paired as 'विरोध-प्रदर्शन'), धरना (dharnaa, sit-in protest)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this word constantly on Indian news channels -- किसान प्रदर्शन (kisaan pradarshan, 'farmers' protest') or छात्र प्रदर्शन (chhaatr pradarshan, 'student protest') are everyday headlines. It's the standard formal/media word for a protest, more neutral and journalistic than धरना (dharnaa), which specifically evokes people sitting down at one spot.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume प्रदर्शन (pradarshan) always means a peaceful/organized protest like a march; in news Hindi it covers everything from a small sit-in to a large rally. 2) The common collocation is प्रदर्शन करना (pradarshan karnaa, 'to hold/stage a protest') -- not प्रदर्शन होना used for the organizers' action; होना is used when describing that a protest 'took place.'
Sample Sentences:
किसानों ने दिल्ली में बड़ा प्रदर्शन किया।
The farmers held a big protest in Delhi.
(kisaanon ne dillii men badaa pradarshan kiyaa।)
छात्र प्रदर्शन कल सुबह शुरू होगा।
The student protest will start tomorrow morning.
(chhaatr pradarshan kal subah shuroo hogaa।)
पुलिस ने प्रदर्शन को रोक दिया।
The police stopped the protest.
(pulis ne pradarshan ko rok diyaa।)
शहर में हर हफ्ते कोई न कोई प्रदर्शन होता है।
There's some protest or the other happening in the city every week.
(shahar men har haphte koii n koii pradarshan hotaa hai।)
मुख्य सड़क पर अभी प्रदर्शन हो रहा है।
A protest is happening on the main road right now.
(mukhy sadak par abhii pradarshan ho rahaa hai।)
प्रदर्शन शांतिपूर्ण तरीके से किया जाना चाहिए।
The protest should be conducted in a peaceful manner.
(pradarshan shaantipoorn tariike se kiyaa jaanaa chaahie।)
अगर सरकार माँगें नहीं मानती, तो प्रदर्शन और बड़ा होता।
If the government hadn't accepted the demands, the protest would have become even bigger.
(agar sarkaar maangen nahiin maantii, to pradarshan aur badaa hotaa।)
प्रदर्शनकारियों को शांति से प्रदर्शन करने दो।
Let the protesters demonstrate peacefully.
(pradarshankaariyon ko shaanti se pradarshan karne do।)
मज़दूर संघ द्वारा आयोजित प्रदर्शन में हज़ारों लोग शामिल हुए।
Thousands of people participated in the demonstration organized by the workers' union.
(mazdoor sangh dvaaraa aayojit pradarshan men hazaaron log shaamil hue।)
समाचार चैनल पर लगातार प्रदर्शन की खबरें दिखाई जा रही थीं।
News of the protest was being shown continuously on the news channel.
(samaachaar chainal par lagaataar pradarshan kii khabren dikhaaii jaa rahii thiin।)
क्या यह प्रदर्शन सचमुच किसी बदलाव के लिए है?
Is this protest really for some change?
(kyaa yah pradarshan sachmuch kisii badlaav ke lie hai?)
Sense
2
:
performance (of a person, in a role or activity)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: अभिनय (abhinay, specifically acting performance), खेल (khel, in a sports context, informal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear in cricket commentary -- टीम का प्रदर्शन (tiim kaa pradarshan, 'the team's performance') is a staple phrase during match analysis, and it extends naturally to students' exam results or an employee's work review.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for परफॉर्मेंस as a loanword, but प्रदर्शन (pradarshan) is the standard native word used in formal writing, sports commentary, and reviews for how well someone did. 2) Note the construction अच्छा प्रदर्शन करना (achchhaa pradarshan karnaa, 'to perform well') -- the adjective modifies प्रदर्शन, not a separate adverb form.
Sample Sentences:
टीम का प्रदर्शन आज बहुत अच्छा था।
The team's performance was very good today.
(tiim kaa pradarshan aaj bahut achchhaa thaa।)
उसका प्रदर्शन हर मैच में सुधरता जा रहा है।
His performance is improving with every match.
(uskaa pradarshan har maich men sudhartaa jaa rahaa hai।)
परीक्षा में उसका प्रदर्शन देखकर मास्टर जी खुश हो गए।
Seeing his performance in the exam, the teacher was pleased.
(pariikshaa men uskaa pradarshan dekhkar maastar jii khush ho gae।)
अगर तुमने बेहतर प्रदर्शन किया होता तो तुम्हें प्रोमोशन मिल जाता।
If you had performed better, you would have gotten the promotion.
(agar tumne behtar pradarshan kiyaa hotaa to tumhen promoshan mil jaataa।)
इस तिमाही में कंपनी का प्रदर्शन विश्लेषकों को निराश कर सकता है।
The company's performance this quarter might disappoint analysts.
(is timaahii men kampnii kaa pradarshan vishleshkon ko niraash kar saktaa hai।)
अगले मैच में बल्लेबाजों को अपना प्रदर्शन सुधारना होगा।
The batsmen will have to improve their performance in the next match.
(agle maich men ballebaajon ko apnaa pradarshan sudhaarnaa hogaa।)
बेहतर प्रदर्शन करो, वरना टीम से बाहर कर दिए जाओगे।
Perform better, or you'll be dropped from the team.
(behtar pradarshan karo, varnaa tiim se baahar kar die jaaoge।)
साल के अंत में हर कर्मचारी के प्रदर्शन का मूल्यांकन किया जाता है।
Every employee's performance is evaluated at the end of the year.
(saal ke ant men har karmchaarii ke pradarshan kaa moolyaankan kiyaa jaataa hai।)
पिछले सीज़न में उसका प्रदर्शन उम्मीदों से कहीं बेहतर रहा।
His performance last season was far better than expected.
(pichhle siizan men uskaa pradarshan ummiidon se kahiin behtar rahaa।)
काश उसका प्रदर्शन फाइनल में भी ऐसा ही होता।
I wish his performance had been just as good in the final too.
(kaash uskaa pradarshan phaainal men bhii aisaa hii hotaa।)
बोर्ड मीटिंग में मैनेजर से प्रदर्शन रिपोर्ट पेश करने की अपेक्षा की जाती है।
The manager is expected to present a performance report at the board meeting.
(bord miiting men mainejar se pradarshan riport pesh karne kii apekshaa kii jaatii hai।)
Sense
3
:
exhibition, display, showing (of an object, product, or show)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: प्रदर्शनी (pradarshnii, the noun for a formal exhibition/expo, related but distinct), दिखावा (dikhaavaa, often with a negative 'showing off' connotation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up in phrases like फिल्म का प्रदर्शन (philm kaa pradarshan, 'the screening/release of a film') or वस्तुओं का प्रदर्शन (vastuon kaa pradarshan, 'display of goods'), linking back to the root idea of दर्शन (darshan, 'sight, viewing') -- all three senses of this word trace back to that core idea of something being shown or seen.
Common Mistakes: 1) Don't confuse प्रदर्शन (pradarshan) with प्रदर्शनी (pradarshnii) -- the latter specifically means 'an exhibition' (the event/venue), while प्रदर्शन is the act or instance of displaying/showing something.
Sample Sentences:
इस हॉल में पुरानी गाड़ियों का प्रदर्शन चल रहा है।
An exhibition of vintage cars is going on in this hall.
(is hol men puraanii gaadiyon kaa pradarshan chal rahaa hai।)
फिल्म का प्रदर्शन अगले शुक्रवार से होगा।
The film's screening will begin next Friday.
(philm kaa pradarshan agle shukrvaar se hogaa।)
दुकान की खिड़की में नए कपड़ों का प्रदर्शन किया गया था।
A display of new clothes had been arranged in the shop window.
(dukaan kii khidkii men nae kapdon kaa pradarshan kiyaa gayaa thaa।)
हर साल यहाँ हस्तशिल्प का प्रदर्शन होता है।
Every year an exhibition of handicrafts is held here.
(har saal yahaan hastshilp kaa pradarshan hotaa hai।)
कृपया प्रदर्शन के दौरान वस्तुओं को न छुएँ।
Please do not touch the items during the exhibition.
(kripyaa pradarshan ke dauraan vastuon ko n chhuen।)
अगर आयोजक चाहें तो प्रदर्शन की तारीख बदल सकते हैं।
If the organizers wish, they can change the date of the exhibition.
(agar aayojak chaahen to pradarshan kii taariikh badal sakte hain।)
कंपनी चाहती है कि उसके उत्पादों का प्रदर्शन बड़े मेले में हो।
The company wants its products' display to take place at the big fair.
(kampnii chaahtii hai ki uske utpaadon kaa pradarshan bade mele men ho।)
अगर सेंसर बोर्ड मंजूरी देता, तो फिल्म का प्रदर्शन समय पर हो जाता।
If the censor board had given approval, the film's screening would have happened on time.
(agar sensar bord manjoorii detaa, to philm kaa pradarshan samay par ho jaataa।)
संग्रहालय में प्राचीन मूर्तियों का प्रदर्शन देखकर मैं मंत्रमुग्ध हो गया।
Seeing the display of ancient statues in the museum, I was spellbound.
(sangrahaalay men praachiin moortiyon kaa pradarshan dekhkar main mantrmugdh ho gayaa।)
इस प्रदर्शनी में हर स्टॉल पर अलग-अलग वस्तुओं का प्रदर्शन किया जाता है।
In this fair, different items are put on display at every stall.
(is pradarshnii men har stol par alag-alag vastuon kaa pradarshan kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
प्रदर्शन
(pradarshan)
(sg.m.oblique):
प्रदर्शन
(pradarshan)
(pl.m.direct):
प्रदर्शन
(pradarshan)
(pl.m.oblique):
प्रदर्शनों
(pradarshnon)