कान (kaan)
noun
A single-sense body-part noun meaning 'ear', but rich in idiomatic use -- it shows up constantly in fixed expressions about attention, warning, and gossip.
Sense
1
:
ear (body part)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: श्रवण (shravan, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: कान (kaan) anchors a whole family of idioms about hearing, heeding, and rumor: कान में कहना (kaan men kahnaa, 'to whisper in someone's ear'), कान का कच्चा (kaan kaa kachchaa, 'gullible', literally 'raw/unbaked in the ear', someone whose ear is easily swayed by whatever they hear last), and कानों में उंगली डालना (kaanon men unglii daalnaa, 'to plug one's ears', i.e. refuse to listen). A Delhi elder scolding a child for not listening might well say कान खोलकर सुनो (kaan kholkar suno, 'listen with your ears open', i.e. listen carefully) -- the ear is treated almost as a gate that can be opened or shut to attention itself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to translate English idioms like 'lend an ear' literally; Hindi has its own set of कान (kaan) idioms -- कान देना (kaan denaa, 'to pay attention'), कान भरना (kaan bharnaa, 'to poison someone's mind with gossip'), कान खड़े होना (kaan khade honaa, 'to prick up one's ears in alertness') -- that don't map word-for-word onto English. 2) कान (kaan) is masculine, so possessives and adjectives agreeing with it take masculine forms, e.g. मेरा कान (meraa kaan) not मेरी कान.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे कान में दर्द हो रहा है।
My ear is hurting.
(mere kaan men dard ho rahaa hai।)
कान खोलकर सुनो, मैं यह बात दोबारा नहीं कहूँगी।
Listen carefully (with your ears open), I won't say this again.
(kaan kholkar suno, main yah baat dobaaraa nahiin kahoongii।)
उसने चुपके से मेरे कान में कुछ कहा।
He whispered something in my ear.
(usne chupke se mere kaan men kuchh kahaa।)
वह कान का कच्चा है, कोई भी उसे कुछ भी कहकर बहका देता है।
He's gullible (raw in the ear), anyone can mislead him by saying anything.
(vah kaan kaa kachchaa hai, koii bhii use kuchh bhii kahkar bahkaa detaa hai।)
तुम कानों में उंगली डालकर बैठे हो, किसी की सुनते ही नहीं।
You're plugging your ears, you never listen to anyone.
(tum kaanon men unglii daalkar baithe ho, kisii kii sunte hii nahiin।)
डॉक्टर ने उसके कान की जाँच की।
The doctor examined his ear.
(doktar ne uske kaan kii jaanch kii।)
अगर तुम्हारे कान सुनते, तो तुम यह गलती कभी न करते।
If your ears actually listened, you would never make this mistake.
(agar tumhaare kaan sunte, to tum yah galtii kabhii n karte।)
शोर इतना तेज़ था कि मेरे कान बज उठे।
The noise was so loud that my ears started ringing.
(shor itnaa tez thaa ki mere kaan baj uthe।)
यह बात किसी और के कान तक न पहुँचे, इसलिए धीरे बोलो।
Speak softly so this matter doesn't reach anyone else's ears.
(yah baat kisii aur ke kaan tak n pahunche, islie dhiire bolo।)
बच्चे के कान में बालियाँ पहनाई गई थीं।
Earrings had been put on the child's ears.
(bachche ke kaan men baaliyaan pahnaaii gaii thiin।)
क्या आपके कान में कुछ गया है?
Has something gone into your ear?
(kyaa aapke kaan men kuchh gayaa hai?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
कान
(kaan)
(sg.m.oblique):
कान
(kaan)
(pl.m.direct):
कान
(kaan)
(pl.m.oblique):
कानों
(kaanon)