साहब (saahab)
noun
A respectful term of address/reference used for men, ranging from 'sir' to 'gentleman' to 'husband' in certain family registers; also survives as a suffix of respect attached to names or titles.
Sense
1
:
sir / mister (respectful address)
noun, masculine Used both as a direct vocative ('साहब, ज़रा सुनिए' (saahab, zaraa sunie, 'Sir, listen please')) and attached after a name or title as an honorific suffix, e.g. शर्मा साहब (sharmaa saahab, 'Mr. Sharma').
Synonyms: श्रीमान (shriimaan, formal), जनाब (janaab, formal/Urdu register)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly from shopkeepers, drivers, and household help addressing customers or employers -- 'साहब, कहाँ जाना है?' (saahab, kahaan jaanaa hai?, 'Sir, where to?') from an auto-wallah is everyday Delhi soundscape. It carries a faint colonial-era echo (from Persian/Arabic via Mughal and then British administrative usage), which is why it still shows up in domestic-service and hierarchical contexts more than among equals.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use साहब (saahab) for any man out of general politeness, but native speakers reserve it for someone of perceived higher status, authority, or a customer/service relationship -- overusing it toward peers can sound oddly formal or even sarcastic. 2) When suffixed to a name, it comes after the name/title (शर्मा साहब (sharmaa saahab)), never before, unlike 'Mr.' in English.
Sample Sentences:
साहब, कहाँ जाना है?
Sir, where do you want to go?
(saahab, kahaan jaanaa hai?)
साहब अभी दफ़्तर में हैं, आप थोड़ी देर बैठिए।
Sir is in the office right now, please sit for a while.
(saahab abhii daftar men hain, aap thodii der baithie।)
साहब ने कल शाम को गाड़ी धोने के लिए कहा था।
Sir had told me yesterday evening to wash the car.
(saahab ne kal shaam ko gaadii dhone ke lie kahaa thaa।)
साहब, ज़रा रुकिए, मैं अभी सामान लाता हूँ।
Sir, please wait a moment, I'll bring the luggage right away.
(saahab, zaraa rukie, main abhii saamaan laataa hoon।)
अगर साहब नाराज़ हो जाएँ तो नौकरी ख़तरे में पड़ सकती है।
If sir gets angry, the job could be at risk.
(agar saahab naaraaz ho jaaen to naukrii khatre men pad saktii hai।)
साहब हर सुबह ठीक नौ बजे दफ़्तर के लिए निकलते हैं।
Sir leaves for the office at exactly nine every morning.
(saahab har subah thiik nau baje daftar ke lie nikalte hain।)
साहब, आपकी चाय टेबल पर रखी है।
Sir, your tea has been placed on the table.
(saahab, aapkii chaay tebal par rakhii hai।)
साहब से पूछे बिना यह फ़ैसला नहीं लिया जा सकता।
This decision cannot be made without asking sir.
(saahab se poochhe binaa yah faislaa nahiin liyaa jaa saktaa।)
काश साहब आज जल्दी घर आते, तो हम साथ खाना खाते।
If only sir had come home early today, we would have eaten together.
(kaash saahab aaj jaldii ghar aate, to ham saath khaanaa khaate।)
साहब, गाड़ी निकाल दूँ या अभी रहने दूँ?
Sir, should I take the car out, or leave it for now?
(saahab, gaadii nikaal doon yaa abhii rahne doon?)
पुराने ज़माने में नौकर अपने मालिक को साहब कहकर बुलाते थे।
In the old days, servants used to address their master as 'sahab'.
(puraane zamaane men naukar apne maalik ko saahab kahkar bulaate the।)
Sense
2
:
husband (colloquial, often said by or about a wife)
noun, masculine Typically used in third person when a wife refers to her husband, e.g. साहब घर पर नहीं हैं (saahab ghar par nahiin hain, 'My husband isn't home'), often within domestic or household-staff speech.
Synonyms: पति (pati), शौहर (shauhar, colloquial/Urdu register)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This usage is closely tied to household hierarchies -- a maid or cook might say साहब आ गए (saahab aa gae, 'the sir/husband has arrived') meaning the master of the house, blending the 'boss' and 'husband' senses since traditionally he was both in that domestic context.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is mostly heard in reported/indirect speech about a husband, not as a direct term of address to him -- learners sometimes try to call their own husband साहब (saahab) directly, which sounds off; it is more commonly used by domestic help referring to the man of the house, or semi-jokingly by a wife.
Sample Sentences:
साहब आ गए, खाना लगा दो।
The husband is home, serve the food.
(saahab aa gae, khaanaa lagaa do।)
साहब अभी दफ़्तर से नहीं आए हैं।
My husband hasn't come back from the office yet.
(saahab abhii daftar se nahiin aae hain।)
साहब रोज़ शाम को चाय ज़रूर पीते हैं।
My husband always has tea in the evening.
(saahab roz shaam ko chaay zaroor piite hain।)
साहब को मसालेदार खाना बिलकुल पसंद नहीं है।
My husband doesn't like spicy food at all.
(saahab ko masaaledaar khaanaa bilkul pasand nahiin hai।)
साहब कल पार्टी में नहीं आएँगे, उनकी तबीयत ठीक नहीं है।
My husband won't come to the party tomorrow, he's not feeling well.
(saahab kal paartii men nahiin aaenge, unkii tabiiyat thiik nahiin hai।)
काम वाली बाई से मैंने कहा कि साहब सो रहे हैं, दोबारा आना।
I told the maid that the husband is sleeping, come again later.
(kaam vaalii baaii se mainne kahaa ki saahab so rahe hain, dobaaraa aanaa।)
अगर साहब घर पर होते तो हम फ़ैसला अभी कर लेते।
If my husband were home, we would have decided this right now.
(agar saahab ghar par hote to ham faislaa abhii kar lete।)
साहब की तनख़्वाह इस महीने देर से आई।
My husband's salary came late this month.
(saahab kii tanakhvaah is mahiine der se aaii।)
साहब का मन हो तो हम आज बाहर खाना खा लेंगे।
If my husband feels like it, we'll eat out today.
(saahab kaa man ho to ham aaj baahar khaanaa khaa lenge।)
बर्तन वाली ने पूछा, साहब आज घर पर खाना खाएँगे क्या?
The dishwasher asked, will the husband be eating at home today?
(bartan vaalii ne poochhaa, saahab aaj ghar par khaanaa khaaenge kyaa?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
साहब
(saahab)
(sg.m.oblique):
साहब
(saahab)
(pl.m.direct):
साहब
(saahab)
(pl.m.oblique):
साहबों
(saahbon)