शहद (shahad)
noun
A simple, single-sense word meaning 'honey' -- both the literal substance and, in a common figurative use, sweetness of speech or manner.
Sense
1
:
honey (the substance bees make)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मधु (madhu, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every Indian household keeps a bottle of शहद (shahad) close at hand, usually reached for the moment someone has a cold or sore throat, often stirred into गरम पानी (garam paanii, 'warm water') or licked straight off a spoon. It is also the go-to home remedy paired with अदरक (adrak, 'ginger') or नींबू (niimboo, 'lemon') in winter.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes guess a feminine gender by analogy with other food words ending in a consonant, but शहद (shahad) is masculine: शहद मीठा है (shahad miithaa hai, 'honey is sweet'), not शहद मीठी है (shahad miithii hai).
Sample Sentences:
सर्दी में शहद और अदरक साथ लेना अच्छा रहता है।
In winter it's good to take honey and ginger together.
(sardii men shahad aur adrak saath lenaa achchhaa rahtaa hai।)
माँ ने गरम पानी में शहद मिलाकर मुझे दिया।
Mom mixed honey into warm water and gave it to me.
(maan ne garam paanii men shahad milaakar mujhe diyaa।)
गले में खराश हो तो एक चम्मच शहद चाट लो।
If you have a sore throat, lick a spoonful of honey.
(gale men kharaash ho to ek chammach shahad chaat lo।)
रसोई में शहद की बोतल हमेशा रखी रहती है।
The bottle of honey always stays kept in the kitchen.
(rasoii men shahad kii botal hameshaa rakhii rahtii hai।)
क्या तुम अपनी चाय में शहद डालते हो या चीनी?
Do you put honey in your tea or sugar?
(kyaa tum apnii chaay men shahad daalte ho yaa chiinii?)
नींबू और शहद का मिश्रण रोज़ सुबह पीने से फ़ायदा होता है।
Drinking a mixture of lemon and honey every morning is beneficial.
(niimboo aur shahad kaa mishran roz subah piine se faaydaa hotaa hai।)
अगर बाज़ार से शुद्ध शहद मिल जाता तो मैं वही खरीदती।
If pure honey were available from the market, I would have bought that.
(agar baazaar se shuddh shahad mil jaataa to main vahii khariidtii।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा है कि शहद प्रतिरोधक क्षमता बढ़ाने में मदद करता है।
The doctor has said that honey helps in boosting immunity.
(doktar ne kahaa hai ki shahad pratirodhak kshamtaa badhaane men madad kartaa hai।)
यह शहद पहाड़ी इलाकों की मक्खियों से लिया गया है।
This honey has been taken from bees of the hilly regions.
(yah shahad pahaadii ilaakon kii makkhiyon se liyaa gayaa hai।)
शायद बाज़ार में इस बार असली शहद न मिले।
Perhaps real honey won't be available in the market this time.
(shaayad baazaar men is baar aslii shahad n mile।)
दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि शहद कभी खराब नहीं होता।
Grandma always used to say that honey never goes bad.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki shahad kabhii kharaab nahiin hotaa।)
Sense
2
:
figurative: sweetness, honeyed quality (of words, voice, or manner)
noun, masculine Used almost always in comparison or description, e.g. describing someone's words as 'dripping with honey' -- बातों में शहद घोलना (baaton men shahad gholnaa, 'to mix honey into one's words', i.e. to speak sweetly/flatteringly).
Synonyms: मिठास (mithaas)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative sense shows up in idiom rather than plain description -- बातों में शहद घोलना (baaton men shahad gholnaa) is the classic image for someone who talks sweetly, often with a hint that the sweetness is calculated or flattering rather than sincere, much like the English 'honey-tongued.'
Sample Sentences:
वह अपनी बातों में शहद घोलकर सबको अपने वश में कर लेता है।
He wins everyone over by dissolving honey in his words, so to speak.
(vah apnii baaton men shahad gholkar sabko apne vash men kar letaa hai।)
जब वह माफी माँगने आया, तो उसकी ज़बान में शहद घुला हुआ था।
When he came to apologize, his tongue was dripping with honeyed words.
(jab vah maaphii maangne aayaa, to uskii zabaan men shahad ghulaa huaa thaa।)
नेताजी की आवाज़ में हमेशा शहद-सी मिठास घुली रहती है, पर इरादे कुछ और होते हैं।
The leader's voice always has a honey-like sweetness dissolved in it, but his intentions are something else entirely.
(netaajii kii aavaaz men hameshaa shahad-sii mithaas ghulii rahtii hai, par iraade kuchh aur hote hain।)
सेल्समैन बातों में शहद घोले जा रहा था, ताकि हम महँगा सामान खरीद लें।
The salesman was pouring honey into his words so that we would buy the expensive item.
(selsmain baaton men shahad ghole jaa rahaa thaa, taaki ham mahangaa saamaan khariid len।)
उसकी बातों में शहद मत घोलो, सीधी बात करो।
Don't dissolve honey in your words with him, speak plainly.
(uskii baaton men shahad mat gholo, siidhii baat karo।)
अगर वह बातों में इतना शहद न घोलता, तो लोग उस पर शक ज़रूर करते।
If he hadn't laced his words with so much honeyed sweetness, people would surely have suspected him.
(agar vah baaton men itnaa shahad n gholtaa, to log us par shak zaroor karte।)
कवि की कलम से जो शब्द निकलते थे, उनमें शहद की मिठास होती थी।
The words that flowed from the poet's pen carried the sweetness of honey.
(kavi kii kalam se jo shabd nikalte the, unmen shahad kii mithaas hotii thii।)
हो सकता है वह अपनी बातों में शहद घोल रही हो, पर मुझे उस पर भरोसा है।
It's possible she's sweetening her words with honey, but I trust her.
(ho saktaa hai vah apnii baaton men shahad ghol rahii ho, par mujhe us par bharosaa hai।)
मीटिंग में बॉस की बातों में शहद घुला था, इसलिए हम सब समझ गए कि कोई बुरी खबर आने वाली है।
The boss's words were laced with honey in the meeting, so we all understood some bad news was coming.
(miiting men bos kii baaton men shahad ghulaa thaa, islie ham sab samajh gae ki koii burii khabar aane vaalii hai।)
उसकी शहद जैसी बातों में मत बहो, असलियत कुछ और है।
Don't get carried away by his honey-sweet talk, the reality is something else.
(uskii shahad jaisii baaton men mat baho, asliyat kuchh aur hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
शहद
(shahad)
(sg.m.oblique):
शहद
(shahad)
(pl.m.direct):
शहद
(shahad)
(pl.m.oblique):
शहदों
(shahdon)