रस (ras)
noun
Covers the literal sense of 'juice/liquid essence' and the extended senses of 'flavor/taste' and 'aesthetic delight, emotional essence' -- the last being a key concept in Indian poetics and art.
Sense
1
:
juice, liquid extract
noun, masculine
Synonyms: जूस (joos, loanword, common for fruit drinks specifically)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of the roadside गन्ने का रस (ganne kaa ras) cart, where sugarcane is crushed fresh in front of you -- रस (ras) is the word for that sweet extracted liquid, whether from fruit, cane, or even meat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for जूस (joos) exclusively; रस (ras) is the native word and appears in compounds like अंगूर का रस (angoor kaa ras, 'grape juice') and गन्ने का रस (ganne kaa ras, 'sugarcane juice') even in everyday speech.
Sample Sentences:
गर्मियों में गन्ने का रस बहुत मिलता है।
In summer, sugarcane juice is widely available.
(garmiyon men ganne kaa ras bahut miltaa hai।)
मुझे एक गिलास अनार का रस चाहिए।
I need a glass of pomegranate juice.
(mujhe ek gilaas anaar kaa ras chaahie।)
उसने नींबू का रस निकाला और सलाद में डाला।
She extracted lemon juice and put it in the salad.
(usne niimboo kaa ras nikaalaa aur salaad men daalaa।)
रस पीने से पहले उसे छान लो।
Strain the juice before drinking it.
(ras piine se pahle use chhaan lo।)
फल का सारा रस मशीन में निचोड़ लिया जाता है।
All the fruit's juice is squeezed out in the machine.
(phal kaa saaraa ras mashiin men nichod liyaa jaataa hai।)
अगर आम पका होता तो उसमें ज़्यादा रस होता।
If the mango had been ripe, it would have had more juice.
(agar aam pakaa hotaa to usmen zyaadaa ras hotaa।)
मांस को धीमी आग पर पकाओ ताकि उसका रस न सूखे।
Cook the meat on a low flame so its juice doesn't dry up.
(maans ko dhiimii aag par pakaao taaki uskaa ras n sookhe।)
बाज़ार में ठेले वाला ताज़ा गन्ने का रस निकाल रहा है।
The cart vendor in the market is extracting fresh sugarcane juice.
(baazaar men thele vaalaa taazaa ganne kaa ras nikaal rahaa hai।)
कल शाम तक वे सेब का सारा रस निकाल चुके होंगे।
By tomorrow evening, they will have extracted all the apple's juice.
(kal shaam tak ve seb kaa saaraa ras nikaal chuke honge।)
कृपया डॉक्टर साहब, इस पत्ते का रस घाव पर लगाइए।
Doctor, please apply this leaf's extract on the wound.
(kripyaa doktar saahab, is patte kaa ras ghaav par lagaaie।)
तुलसी का रस सुबह खाली पेट पीना चाहिए।
One should drink basil extract on an empty stomach in the morning.
(tulsii kaa ras subah khaalii pet piinaa chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
taste, flavor (of food)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: स्वाद (svaad)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear someone say खाने में रस आ गया (khaane men ras aa gayaa, 'the food became truly flavorful/delightful') -- this usage already starts blending into the next sense, aesthetic pleasure, since good taste and good feeling are linked in Hindi thought.
Common Mistakes: 1) स्वाद (svaad) is the everyday word for 'taste'; रस (ras) in this sense leans slightly more literary/appreciative, often used when praising how flavorful or satisfying a dish is rather than in plain questions like 'how does it taste?'
Sample Sentences:
इस फल में बहुत रस है।
This fruit has a lot of flavor.
(is phal men bahut ras hai।)
दाल में आज कुछ खास रस नहीं है।
The lentils don't have much flavor today.
(daal men aaj kuchh khaas ras nahiin hai।)
मसाले डालने से खाने में रस आ गया।
Adding the spices made the food truly flavorful.
(masaale daalne se khaane men ras aa gayaa।)
मेरी नानी की रसोई से हमेशा गज़ब का रस निकलता था।
Amazing flavor always used to come out of my grandmother's kitchen.
(merii naanii kii rasoii se hameshaa gazab kaa ras nikaltaa thaa।)
अगर तुम इसमें नींबू निचोड़ोगे तो रस और बढ़ जाएगा।
If you squeeze lemon into this, the flavor will increase even more.
(agar tum ismen niimboo nichodoge to ras aur badh jaaegaa।)
काश इस सब्ज़ी में थोड़ा और रस होता।
I wish this vegetable dish had a bit more flavor.
(kaash is sabzii men thodaa aur ras hotaa।)
पकवान में रस बनाए रखने के लिए धीमी आँच पर पकाइए।
To keep the dish flavorful, cook it on a low flame.
(pakvaan men ras banaae rakhne ke lie dhiimii aanch par pakaaie।)
यह मिठाई इतनी रसीली है कि उसका रस मुँह में घुल जाता है।
This sweet is so full of flavor that its taste melts in your mouth.
(yah mithaaii itnii rasiilii hai ki uskaa ras munh men ghul jaataa hai।)
आयुर्वेद में हर भोजन के छह रस बताए गए हैं।
In Ayurveda, six flavors have been described for every meal.
(aayurved men har bhojan ke chhah ras bataae gae hain।)
Sense
3
:
aesthetic delight, emotional essence (as in poetics/art)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: आनंद (aanand, broader, 'joy/bliss' rather than the technical aesthetic sense)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the रस (ras) of classical Indian aesthetics (नवरस, navras, 'the nine rasas') -- the idea that a poem, dance, or film scene is crafted to make you taste a specific emotion, like शृंगार रस (shringaar ras, the rasa of romantic love) or वीर रस (viir ras, the rasa of heroism). In daily speech, कहानी में रस नहीं है (kahaanii men ras nahiin hai, 'there's no relish/interest in the story') is a natural, non-academic use of this same idea.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is abstract and shows up in set phrases like रस लेना (ras lenaa, 'to relish, take delight in') and बे-रस (be-ras, 'dull, flavorless' -- of a story, speech, or person); learners sometimes miss that रस (ras) here means the emotional 'flavor' an experience gives you, not a physical substance.
Sample Sentences:
भारतीय काव्यशास्त्र में नौ रस माने गए हैं।
In Indian poetics, nine rasas are recognized.
(bhaartiiy kaavyshaastr men nau ras maane gae hain।)
इस कविता में शृंगार रस की प्रधानता है।
In this poem, the rasa of romantic love predominates.
(is kavitaa men shringaar ras kii pradhaantaa hai।)
यार, इस कहानी में कोई रस नहीं है, बहुत बोरिंग है।
Dude, there's no relish in this story, it's really boring.
(yaar, is kahaanii men koii ras nahiin hai, bahut boring hai।)
युद्ध के दृश्यों में वीर रस झलकता है।
The rasa of heroism shines through in the war scenes.
(yuddh ke drishyon men viir ras jhalaktaa hai।)
अगर निर्देशक करुण रस को ठीक से न उभारे, तो पूरा दृश्य बेअसर रह जाएगा।
If the director doesn't bring out the rasa of pathos properly, the whole scene will fall flat.
(agar nirdeshak karun ras ko thiik se n ubhaare, to pooraa drishy beasar rah jaaegaa।)
नाटक देखते हुए दर्शक हास्य रस में डूब गए।
Watching the play, the audience became immersed in the rasa of comedy.
(naatak dekhte hue darshak haasy ras men doob gae।)
क्या इस उपन्यास के आखिरी अध्याय में कोई रस बचा है?
Is there any relish left in the last chapter of this novel?
(kyaa is upanyaas ke aakhirii adhyaay men koii ras bachaa hai?)
काश उस फिल्म में थोड़ा रस होता, तब शायद इतनी उबाऊ न लगती।
If only that film had had some relish, maybe it wouldn't have felt so tedious.
(kaash us philm men thodaa ras hotaa, tab shaayad itnii ubaaoo n lagtii।)
आलोचक ने कहा कि इस उपन्यास में रस की कमी है।
The critic said that this novel lacks aesthetic essence.
(aalochak ne kahaa ki is upanyaas men ras kii kamii hai।)
हर रस का अपना स्थायी भाव होता है, जैसे वीर रस का उत्साह।
Every rasa has its own dominant emotion, such as the enthusiasm of the heroic rasa.
(har ras kaa apnaa sthaayii bhaav hotaa hai, jaise viir ras kaa utsaah।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
रस
(ras)
(sg.m.oblique):
रस
(ras)
(pl.m.direct):
रस
(ras)
(pl.m.oblique):
रसों
(rason)