मार्ग (maarg)

noun A formal/written word for 'path, road, way,' used literally for a route and figuratively for a course of action or a spiritual path; day-to-day speech leans on रास्ता (raastaa) instead.
Sense 1 : road, route, path (physical)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: रास्ता (raastaa), पथ (path, literary), सड़क (sadak, specifically 'road/street')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll see मार्ग (maarg) constantly on Delhi street signs and in official road names -- तुगलक मार्ग (tuglak maarg), अकबर मार्ग (akbar maarg) -- which gives it a slightly formal, civic-signage flavor rather than a conversational one.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners overuse मार्ग (maarg) in everyday speech where रास्ता (raastaa) is the natural choice; मार्ग (maarg) shows up mainly on signboards, in official addresses, and in news reports (e.g. named roads like राजपथ (raajpath)). 2) In spoken directions ('turn left', 'which way do I go'), Hindi speakers say रास्ता (raastaa), not मार्ग (maarg).
Sample Sentences:
यह मार्ग सीधे संसद भवन तक जाता है। This road leads straight to the Parliament building.
(yah maarg siidhe sansad bhavan tak jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
तुगलक मार्ग पर आज बहुत ट्रैफ़िक था। There was a lot of traffic on Tughlak Road today.
(tuglak maarg par aaj bahut traifik thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया आगे मार्ग बंद है, दूसरा रास्ता लें। Please note the road ahead is closed, take another route.
(kripyaa aage maarg band hai, doosraa raastaa len।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अकबर मार्ग पर स्थित यह दफ़्तर बहुत पुराना है। This office located on Akbar Road is very old.
(akbar maarg par sthit yah daftar bahut puraanaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
भारी बारिश के कारण कई मार्ग जलमग्न हो गए। Due to heavy rain, many roads got flooded.
(bhaarii baarish ke kaaran kaii maarg jalmagn ho gae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस मार्ग की मरम्मत की जा रही है। This road is being repaired.
(is maarg kii marammat kii jaa rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर यह मार्ग खुला होता तो हम जल्दी पहुँच जाते। If this road had been open, we would have reached quickly.
(agar yah maarg khulaa hotaa to ham jaldii pahunch jaate।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
नया मार्ग बनने के बाद शहर की यातायात व्यवस्था बेहतर हो जाएगी। After the new road is built, the city's traffic system will improve.
(nayaa maarg banne ke baad shahar kii yaataayaat vyavasthaa behtar ho jaaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
नगर निगम ने सुझाव दिया कि यह मार्ग चौड़ा किया जाए। The municipal corporation suggested that this road be widened.
(nagar nigam ne sujhaav diyaa ki yah maarg chaudaa kiyaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : way, method, course of action (figurative)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: तरीका (tariikaa), उपाय (upaay, 'solution/means'), राह (raah, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the sense behind phrases like समस्या का कोई मार्ग निकालना (samasyaa kaa koii maarg nikaalnaa, 'to find a way out of a problem') and स्वतंत्रता का मार्ग (svatantrtaa kaa maarg, 'the path to freedom') -- मार्ग (maarg) frames a course of action as a road being traveled, a very common metaphor in speeches and writing.
Sample Sentences:
हमें इस समस्या का कोई मार्ग निकालना होगा। We will have to find some way out of this problem.
(hamen is samasyaa kaa koii maarg nikaalnaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
आर्थिक सुधार का मार्ग आसान नहीं है। The path of economic reform is not easy.
(aarthik sudhaar kaa maarg aasaan nahiin hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नेताजी ने स्वतंत्रता का मार्ग दिखाया। Netaji showed the path to freedom.
(netaajii ne svatantrtaa kaa maarg dikhaayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर सब मिलकर सोचें, तो कोई न कोई मार्ग जरूर निकलेगा। If everyone thinks together, some way will surely come out.
(agar sab milkar sochen, to koii n koii maarg jaroor niklegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
यदि उसने समय रहते फैसला लिया होता, तो सफलता का मार्ग खुल जाता। If he had made the decision in time, the path to success would have opened up.
(yadi usne samay rahte phaislaa liyaa hotaa, to saphaltaa kaa maarg khul jaataa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
सरकार विकास का नया मार्ग अपनाने की कोशिश कर रही है। The government is trying to adopt a new course of development.
(sarkaar vikaas kaa nayaa maarg apnaane kii koshish kar rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यही एकमात्र मार्ग बचता है कि हम अपनी गलतियों से सीखें। This is the only course left, that we learn from our mistakes.
(yahii ekmaatr maarg bachtaa hai ki ham apnii galtiyon se siikhen।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बातचीत से समाधान का मार्ग निकाला जाएगा। A way to a solution will be found through dialogue.
(baatchiit se samaadhaan kaa maarg nikaalaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
उसने अपनी मेहनत से तरक्की का मार्ग बना लिया। Through his hard work, he carved out a path to progress.
(usne apnii mehnat se tarakkii kaa maarg banaa liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या इस झगड़े का कोई शांतिपूर्ण मार्ग नहीं है? Is there no peaceful way out of this dispute?
(kyaa is jhagde kaa koii shaantipoorn maarg nahiin hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : spiritual or moral path
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पथ (path, literary/devotional), राह (raah, literary)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: In devotional and philosophical contexts मार्ग (maarg) names a whole spiritual discipline, as in भक्ति मार्ग (bhakti maarg, 'the path of devotion') or कर्म मार्ग (karm maarg, 'the path of action') from the Gita's teachings -- this sense carries real weight in religious discourse even though it is rare in casual chat.
Sample Sentences:
भक्ति मार्ग ईश्वर से जुड़ने का सबसे सरल साधन माना जाता है। The path of devotion is considered the simplest means of connecting with God.
(bhakti maarg iishvar se judne kaa sabse saral saadhan maanaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
गीता में कर्म मार्ग, ज्ञान मार्ग और भक्ति मार्ग, तीनों का वर्णन मिलता है। In the Gita, one finds a description of all three paths -- action, knowledge, and devotion.
(giitaa men karm maarg, gyaan maarg aur bhakti maarg, tiinon kaa varnan miltaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गुरु ने शिष्य को मुक्ति के मार्ग पर चलने की प्रेरणा दी। The guru inspired the disciple to walk the path of liberation.
(guru ne shishy ko mukti ke maarg par chalne kii prernaa dii।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यदि तुम सत्य के मार्ग पर चलोगे, तो अंततः शांति पाओगे। If you walk the path of truth, you will eventually find peace.
(yadi tum saty ke maarg par chaloge, to anttah shaanti paaoge।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
साधक वर्षों से योग मार्ग पर अग्रसर है। The seeker has been advancing on the path of yoga for years.
(saadhak varshon se yog maarg par agrsar hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैं भी धर्म के मार्ग से कभी न भटकता। If only I too had never strayed from the path of righteousness.
(kaash main bhii dharm ke maarg se kabhii n bhataktaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हे प्रभु, हमें अपने मार्ग पर चलने की शक्ति दो। O Lord, grant us the strength to walk on Your path.
(he prabhu, hamen apne maarg par chalne kii shakti do।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इस ग्रंथ में मुक्ति का मार्ग स्पष्ट रूप से दिखाया गया है। In this scripture, the path to liberation has been clearly shown.
(is granth men mukti kaa maarg spasht roop se dikhaayaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
संत कबीर ने प्रेम को ही सच्चा आध्यात्मिक मार्ग बताया। Saint Kabir declared love itself to be the true spiritual path.
(sant kabiir ne prem ko hii sachchaa aadhyaatmik maarg bataayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): मार्ग (maarg)
(sg.m.oblique): मार्ग (maarg)
(pl.m.direct): मार्ग (maarg)
(pl.m.oblique): मार्गों (maargon)