गाँठ (gaanth)
noun
Primarily a physical knot or tied lump (gaanth), with a well-worn figurative extension to an emotional 'knot' -- a grudge, tension, or unresolved complication between people.
Sense
1
:
a knot (in string, rope, cloth, etc.)
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of tying a दुपट्टे (dupatte) corner or a rope around a bundle -- that physical action is the anchor for this word, and it's also the image Hindi reaches for when talking about emotional knots (see the next sense).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse गाँठ (gaanth) with जोड़ (jod, 'joint/link') -- गाँठ (gaanth) specifically means a knot tied by twisting/looping, not any connection point. 2) The common verb pairing is गाँठ लगाना (gaanth lagaanaa, 'to tie a knot') and गाँठ खोलना (gaanth kholnaa, 'to undo a knot') -- लगाना (lagaanaa) and खोलना (kholnaa) are the natural verbs here, not बनाना (banaanaa) or करना (karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
रस्सी में गाँठ पड़ गई है।
A knot has formed in the rope.
(rassii men gaanth pad gaii hai।)
मैंने दुपट्टे के कोने में गाँठ बाँध दी।
I tied a knot in the corner of my dupatta.
(mainne dupatte ke kone men gaanth baandh dii।)
यह गाँठ इतनी कस गई है कि खुल ही नहीं रही।
This knot has become so tight that it just won't come undone.
(yah gaanth itnii kas gaii hai ki khul hii nahiin rahii।)
गाँठ खोलो, वरना कैंची से काटनी पड़ेगी।
Untie the knot, or else we'll have to cut it with scissors.
(gaanth kholo, varnaa kainchii se kaatnii padegii।)
अगर गाँठ थोड़ी ढीली होती, तो मैं उसे आसानी से खोल लेता।
If the knot had been a bit looser, I would have untied it easily.
(agar gaanth thodii dhiilii hotii, to main use aasaanii se khol letaa।)
बोरी को बाँधने के लिए मजबूत गाँठ चाहिए।
You need a strong knot to tie up the sack.
(borii ko baandhne ke lie majboot gaanth chaahie।)
पतंग की डोर में गाँठ लग गई थी, इसलिए वह उड़ नहीं पा रही थी।
A knot had formed in the kite string, so it wasn't able to fly.
(patang kii dor men gaanth lag gaii thii, islie vah ud nahiin paa rahii thii।)
जूते के फीते में गाँठ लगाना सीख लो, वरना बार-बार फिसलेंगे।
Learn to tie a knot in your shoelaces, or they'll keep slipping loose.
(joote ke phiite men gaanth lagaanaa siikh lo, varnaa baar-baar phislenge।)
क्या तुम इस गाँठ को खोल सकते हो? मुझसे तो नहीं खुल रही।
Can you undo this knot? I can't seem to get it open.
(kyaa tum is gaanth ko khol sakte ho? mujhse to nahiin khul rahii।)
पुराने ज़माने में लोग पैसे गाँठ में बाँधकर रखते थे।
In olden times, people used to keep money tied up in a knot of cloth.
(puraane zamaane men log paise gaanth men baandhkar rakhte the।)
इतनी सारी गाँठें एक साथ बाँधी गई थीं कि सुलझाना मुश्किल हो गया।
So many knots had been tied together that untangling them became difficult.
(itnii saarii gaanthen ek saath baandhii gaii thiin ki suljhaanaa mushkil ho gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
a lump, node, or swelling (e.g. in a body part, wood, or bamboo)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: गिल्टी (giltii, swelling/lump specifically on the body)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this at the doctor's or in casual health talk -- someone might say गले में गाँठ है (gale men gaanth hai, 'there's a lump in the throat') meaning an actual physical swelling, distinct from the English idiom about emotion.
Sample Sentences:
उसके गले में एक गाँठ है।
There is a lump in his throat.
(uske gale men ek gaanth hai।)
डॉक्टर ने उसकी गर्दन में एक गाँठ महसूस की।
The doctor felt a lump on his neck.
(doktar ne uskii gardan men ek gaanth mahsoos kii।)
इस बाँस में जगह-जगह गाँठें होती हैं।
This bamboo has nodes here and there.
(is baans men jagah-jagah gaanthen hotii hain।)
अगर गाँठ बढ़ती रहे तो डॉक्टर को दिखाओ।
If the lump keeps growing, show it to a doctor.
(agar gaanth badhtii rahe to doktar ko dikhaao।)
स्तन में गाँठ पाई गई, इसलिए जांच करवानी पड़ी।
A lump was found in the breast, so a check-up had to be done.
(stan men gaanth paaii gaii, islie jaanch karvaanii padii।)
पेड़ के तने पर एक बड़ी गाँठ उभर आई है।
A big node has appeared on the tree trunk.
(ped ke tane par ek badii gaanth ubhar aaii hai।)
यह लकड़ी की गाँठ बहुत सख्त निकली।
This knot in the wood turned out very hard.
(yah lakdii kii gaanth bahut sakht niklii।)
पहले उसकी टांग में एक छोटी सी गाँठ थी, अब वह बड़ी हो गई है।
Earlier there was a small lump on his leg, now it has grown bigger.
(pahle uskii taang men ek chhotii sii gaanth thii, ab vah badii ho gaii hai।)
रिपोर्ट में लिखा है कि गाँठ का ऑपरेशन जरूरी है।
The report states that surgery for the lump is necessary.
(riport men likhaa hai ki gaanth kaa opreshan jaroorii hai।)
Sense
3
:
a grudge, unresolved tension, or emotional 'knot' between people
noun, feminine Almost always appears with दिल में (dil men) or मन में (man men) plus गाँठ पड़ना (gaanth padnaa, 'a knot forms') or गाँठ बाँधना (gaanth baandhnaa, 'to tie a knot' = to hold onto a grudge/resolve firmly).
Synonyms: मनमुटाव (manmutaav, estrangement/friction), शिकायत (shikaayat, complaint/grievance)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same mental image as sense 1, just moved inside the heart: a relationship or memory that has literally 'knotted up' and won't smooth out on its own. दिल में गाँठ पड़ना (dil men gaanth padnaa, 'a knot forms in the heart') is exactly how a Delhi aunty might describe lingering resentment after a family dispute -- something that needs deliberate untying (खोलना, kholnaa), not just time.
Common Mistakes: 1) गाँठ बाँधना (gaanth baandhnaa) can mean either 'to bear a grudge' or, in a different context, 'to firmly resolve/commit something to memory' (gaanth baandh lo, 'mark my words') -- the intended sense depends entirely on context, which surprises learners expecting one fixed meaning. 2) The grudge sense takes दिल में (dil men) or मन में (man men), not पर (par) or को (ko) -- learners sometimes reach for the wrong postposition by analogy with English 'have a grudge against someone'.
Sample Sentences:
उस झगड़े के बाद दोनों भाइयों के दिल में गाँठ पड़ गई।
After that quarrel, a knot of resentment formed between the two brothers.
(us jhagde ke baad donon bhaaiyon ke dil men gaanth pad gaii।)
मेरे और उसके बीच जो गाँठ है, वह बातचीत से ही खुलेगी।
The knot between me and him will only be untied through talking it out.
(mere aur uske biich jo gaanth hai, vah baatchiit se hii khulegii।)
सालों पुरानी वह गाँठ अब तक नहीं खुली है।
That years-old knot hasn't been untied even now.
(saalon puraanii vah gaanth ab tak nahiin khulii hai।)
अगर वे उस समय माफ़ी माँग लेते, तो दिल में यह गाँठ न पड़ती।
If they had apologized at that time, this knot wouldn't have formed in the heart.
(agar ve us samay maafii maang lete, to dil men yah gaanth n padtii।)
दादी कहती हैं कि पुरानी गाँठों को दबाए रखने से रिश्ते ख़राब होते हैं।
Grandma says that keeping old grudges suppressed spoils relationships.
(daadii kahtii hain ki puraanii gaanthon ko dabaae rakhne se rishte kharaab hote hain।)
तुम दोनों बैठकर यह गाँठ खोल लो, वरना यह बढ़ती ही जाएगी।
Sit down, you two, and untangle this knot, otherwise it will just keep growing.
(tum donon baithkar yah gaanth khol lo, varnaa yah badhtii hii jaaegii।)
हो सकता है उसके मन में मेरे लिए कोई गाँठ हो।
It's possible he has some knot of resentment toward me in his heart.
(ho saktaa hai uske man men mere lie koii gaanth ho।)
समय बीतने के साथ वह गाँठ धीरे-धीरे अपने आप खुल गई।
As time passed, that knot slowly untied itself.
(samay biitne ke saath vah gaanth dhiire-dhiire apne aap khul gaii।)
काश वह गाँठ हमारे बीच से कभी न बनी होती।
I wish that knot had never formed between us.
(kaash vah gaanth hamaare biich se kabhii n banii hotii।)
बहन ने भाई की गाँठ खोलने के लिए खुद पहल की।
The sister herself took the initiative to untie the knot with her brother.
(bahan ne bhaaii kii gaanth kholne ke lie khud pahal kii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
गाँठ
(gaanth)
(sg.f.oblique):
गाँठ
(gaanth)
(pl.f.direct):
गाँठें
(gaanthen)
(pl.f.oblique):
गाँठों
(gaanthon)