ध्यान (dhyaan)
noun
Mainly means 'attention' in everyday speech, but also carries its classical sense of 'meditation/contemplation' -- the two are related (focused mind), and the word switches between them depending on context.
Sense
1
:
attention, notice, care
noun, masculine Frequently used with रखना (rakhnaa, 'to keep/pay') and देना (denaa, 'to give') as light-verb pairings: ध्यान रखना (dhyaan rakhnaa) and ध्यान देना (dhyaan denaa).
Synonyms: तवज्जो (tavajjo), खयाल (khayaal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear ध्यान से (dhyaan se, 'carefully') constantly in daily life -- from a mother telling a child ध्यान से चलो (dhyaan se chalo, 'walk carefully') to a driver being told ध्यान से चलाओ (dhyaan se chalaao, 'drive carefully'). It's one of the most useful adverbial phrases you'll pick up in India.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use पर (par) or में (men) inconsistently -- the standard frame is X पर ध्यान देना (X par dhyaan denaa, 'to pay attention to X'), not X को ध्यान देना. 2) ध्यान रखना (dhyaan rakhnaa) often means 'to take care of / look after' (e.g. बच्चों का ध्यान रखना, bachchon kaa dhyaan rakhnaa, 'to look after the children'), not just 'to pay attention' -- learners sometimes miss this caretaking sense.
Sample Sentences:
ध्यान से चलो, सड़क गीली है।
Walk carefully, the road is wet.
(dhyaan se chalo, sadak giilii hai।)
ध्यान से चलाओ, ट्रैफिक बहुत है।
Drive carefully, there's a lot of traffic.
(dhyaan se chalaao, traiphik bahut hai।)
मेरा ध्यान अचानक दरवाजे की आवाज़ की तरफ गया।
My attention suddenly went toward the sound of the door.
(meraa dhyaan achaanak darvaaje kii aavaaz kii taraph gayaa।)
टीचर हमेशा कहती हैं कि किताब पर ध्यान दो, फोन पर नहीं।
The teacher always says to pay attention to the book, not the phone.
(tiichar hameshaa kahtii hain ki kitaab par dhyaan do, phon par nahiin।)
क्या आप कृपया इस मामले पर ध्यान देंगे?
Would you please give attention to this matter?
(kyaa aap kripyaa is maamle par dhyaan denge?)
उसका ध्यान पूरी क्लास में बंटा हुआ था।
His attention was divided throughout the class.
(uskaa dhyaan poorii klaas men bantaa huaa thaa।)
अगर तुम ध्यान से पढ़ते तो यह गलती नहीं होती।
If you had studied carefully, this mistake wouldn't have happened.
(agar tum dhyaan se padhte to yah galtii nahiin hotii।)
बच्चों का ध्यान रखा जाना चाहिए।
Children's care should be taken (children should be looked after).
(bachchon kaa dhyaan rakhaa jaanaa chaahie।)
सभी का ध्यान मंच की तरफ खिंच गया।
Everyone's attention was drawn toward the stage.
(sabhii kaa dhyaan manch kii taraph khinch gayaa।)
यह ध्यान रहे कि दरवाज़ा बंद है।
Do keep in mind that the door is locked.
(yah dhyaan rahe ki darvaazaa band hai।)
माँ बच्चे का ध्यान रखते-रखते थक गई।
The mother got tired from constantly taking care of the child.
(maan bachche kaa dhyaan rakhte-rakhte thak gaii।)
Sense
2
:
meditation, contemplation
noun, masculine Common in the fixed collocation ध्यान लगाना (dhyaan lagaanaa, 'to meditate, to focus the mind') and ध्यान करना (dhyaan karnaa, 'to meditate').
Synonyms: साधना (saadhnaa, literary/spiritual), मनन (manan, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same ध्यान (dhyaan) you'll see on yoga studio signs and hear in spiritual contexts -- it's the root of the Japanese word 'Zen,' having traveled through Chinese Chan from Sanskrit dhyaana. In Delhi you'll hear it used seriously in yoga/meditation classes and jokingly when someone tells a distracted friend, ध्यान लगाओ! (dhyaan lagaao, 'focus!').
Sample Sentences:
हर सुबह वह बीस मिनट ध्यान करता है।
Every morning he meditates for twenty minutes.
(har subah vah biis minat dhyaan kartaa hai।)
गुरुजी अभी ध्यान में बैठे हैं, उन्हें मत जगाओ।
The guru is sitting in meditation right now, don't wake him.
(gurujii abhii dhyaan men baithe hain, unhen mat jagaao।)
आँखें बंद करो और ध्यान लगाओ।
Close your eyes and meditate.
(aankhen band karo aur dhyaan lagaao।)
अरे भई, यहाँ कोई मुद्दा नहीं है, बस ध्यान लगाओ अपने काम पर!
Oh come on, there's no issue here, just focus on your work!
(are bhaii, yahaan koii muddaa nahiin hai, bas dhyaan lagaao apne kaam par!)
बुद्ध वर्षों तक बोधि वृक्ष के नीचे ध्यान करते रहे।
The Buddha kept meditating under the Bodhi tree for years.
(buddh varshon tak bodhi vriksh ke niiche dhyaan karte rahe।)
अगर तुम रोज़ ध्यान करते तो तुम्हारा मन इतना अशांत न होता।
If you meditated every day, your mind wouldn't be so restless.
(agar tum roz dhyaan karte to tumhaaraa man itnaa ashaant n hotaa।)
आश्रम में हर शाम सामूहिक ध्यान किया जाता है।
Group meditation is done every evening at the ashram.
(aashram men har shaam saamoohik dhyaan kiyaa jaataa hai।)
शायद ध्यान से उसे मानसिक शांति मिल जाए।
Perhaps meditation will bring her mental peace.
(shaayad dhyaan se use maansik shaanti mil jaae।)
योग शिक्षिका ने कहा कि ध्यान से तनाव कम होगा।
The yoga teacher said that meditation would reduce stress.
(yog shikshikaa ne kahaa ki dhyaan se tanaav kam hogaa।)
साधु ने पूरी रात हिमालय की गुफा में ध्यान किया।
The sadhu meditated all night in a cave in the Himalayas.
(saadhu ne poorii raat himaalay kii guphaa men dhyaan kiyaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ध्यान
(dhyaan)
(sg.m.oblique):
ध्यान
(dhyaan)
(pl.m.direct):
ध्यान
(dhyaan)
(pl.m.oblique):
ध्यानों
(dhyaanon)