भाव (bhaav)

noun Covers price/rate in market talk, an emotion or feeling, and a facial expression/attitude (as in the phrase भाव देना (bhaav denaa)). All three senses share a common root idea of 'the value or state something is felt to have', but split for everyday use.
Sense 1 : price, rate
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दाम (daam), कीमत (kiimat), मूल्य (mooly, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you use haggling at the सब्ज़ी मंडी (sabzii mandii, vegetable market) -- टमाटर का भाव क्या है? (tamaatar kaa bhaav kyaa hai, 'what's the rate for tomatoes?') is a daily line across North Indian markets. It also shows up constantly in news about सोने का भाव (sone kaa bhaav, 'the price of gold') or शेयर बाज़ार के भाव (sheyar baazaar ke bhaav, 'stock market rates').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कीमत (kiimat) in every context, but भाव (bhaav) is the natural word when talking about fluctuating market rates -- vegetables, gold, stocks -- rather than a fixed price tag on a single item. 2) The common question is क्या भाव है? (kyaa bhaav hai, 'what's the rate?'), used specifically with a vendor, not for a shop's listed price.
Sample Sentences:
टमाटर का भाव क्या है? What is the price of tomatoes?
(tamaatar kaa bhaav kyaa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आज सोने का भाव बहुत बढ़ गया है। Today the price of gold has gone up a lot.
(aaj sone kaa bhaav bahut badh gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ़्ते प्याज़ का भाव अचानक गिर गया था। Last week the price of onions suddenly fell.
(pichhle hafte pyaaz kaa bhaav achaanak gir gayaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
भैया, थोड़ा भाव कम करो न! Brother, lower the price a bit, come on!
(bhaiyaa, thodaa bhaav kam karo n!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शेयर बाज़ार के भाव रोज़ बदलते रहते हैं। Stock market rates keep changing every day.
(sheyar baazaar ke bhaav roz badalte rahte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर पेट्रोल का भाव और बढ़ेगा तो लोग परेशान हो जाएँगे। If the price of petrol rises further, people will get troubled.
(agar petrol kaa bhaav aur badhegaa to log pareshaan ho jaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश सब्ज़ियों का भाव इतना ज़्यादा न होता। If only the price of vegetables weren't so high.
(kaash sabziyon kaa bhaav itnaa zyaadaa n hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
दुकानदार ने हर चीज़ का भाव बोर्ड पर लिख दिया है। The shopkeeper has written the price of everything on the board.
(dukaandaar ne har chiiz kaa bhaav bord par likh diyaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंडी में आज सब्ज़ियों के भाव बताए जा रहे हैं। The prices of vegetables are being announced in the market today.
(mandii men aaj sabziyon ke bhaav bataae jaa rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या आपको पता है कि आज चावल का भाव क्या चल रहा है? Do you know what the current price of rice is today?
(kyaa aapko pataa hai ki aaj chaaval kaa bhaav kyaa chal rahaa hai?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सुनते हैं कि सरकार जल्दी ही दालों के भाव पर नियंत्रण लगाए, ऐसी उम्मीद है। One hears there's hope that the government will soon control the price of lentils.
(sunte hain ki sarkaar jaldii hii daalon ke bhaav par niyantran lagaae, aisii ummiid hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : emotion, feeling
noun, masculine
Synonyms: भावना (bhaavnaa), जज़्बात (jazbaat, colloquial, often plural in feel)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In this sense भाव (bhaav) points to an inner emotional state, often the source word behind भावना (bhaavnaa) which is the more common everyday noun for 'feeling' or 'sentiment'. You will meet भाव (bhaav) itself in this sense more in devotional or reflective speech -- talk of प्रेम का भाव (prem kaa bhaav, 'a feeling of love') or भक्ति भाव (bhakti bhaav, 'a spirit of devotion').
Sample Sentences:
उसके मन में भक्ति भाव जाग उठा। A feeling of devotion awakened in his heart.
(uske man men bhakti bhaav jaag uthaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गुरु जी के प्रति उसके मन में श्रद्धा का भाव है। There is a feeling of reverence in his heart towards the guru.
(guru jii ke prati uske man men shraddhaa kaa bhaav hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब भी वह मंदिर जाता है, उसके भीतर प्रेम का भाव भर जाता है। Whenever he goes to the temple, a feeling of love fills him inside.
(jab bhii vah mandir jaataa hai, uske bhiitar prem kaa bhaav bhar jaataa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कवि की पंक्तियों में करुणा का भाव स्पष्ट झलकता है। A feeling of compassion clearly shines through in the poet's lines.
(kavi kii panktiyon men karunaa kaa bhaav spasht jhalaktaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
साधना करते समय मन में शांति का भाव बना रहे, यही प्रार्थना है। May a feeling of peace remain in the mind while doing meditation -- that is the prayer.
(saadhnaa karte samay man men shaanti kaa bhaav banaa rahe, yahii praarthnaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर उसके मन में सच्चा भाव होता, तो वह इतनी आसानी से क्षमा कर देता। If a true feeling had been in his heart, he would have forgiven so easily.
(agar uske man men sachchaa bhaav hotaa, to vah itnii aasaanii se kshamaa kar detaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस भजन को भाव से गाओ, बस शब्द मत दोहराओ। Sing this hymn with feeling, don't just repeat the words.
(is bhajan ko bhaav se gaao, bas shabd mat dohraao।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसकी आवाज़ में जो भाव था, वह शब्दों से कहीं ज़्यादा गहरा था। The feeling that was in her voice was far deeper than the words themselves.
(uskii aavaaz men jo bhaav thaa, vah shabdon se kahiin zyaadaa gahraa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
संत लोग कहते हैं कि ईश्वर भाव देखता है, दिखावा नहीं। Saints say that God sees the feeling, not the show.
(sant log kahte hain ki iishvar bhaav dekhtaa hai, dikhaavaa nahiin।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पूजा में भाव की शुद्धता से ही ईश्वर तक बात पहुँचती है, ऐसा माना जाता है। It is believed that it is only through the purity of feeling in worship that one's words reach God.
(poojaa men bhaav kii shuddhtaa se hii iishvar tak baat pahunchtii hai, aisaa maanaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Sense 3 : attitude, air, expression (often aloofness)
noun, masculine Almost always seen in the fixed expression भाव देना (bhaav denaa, 'to give attention/importance to someone') and its negative भाव न देना (bhaav n denaa, 'to ignore/snub someone'), or भाव खाना (bhaav khaanaa, 'to act stuck-up, put on airs').
Synonyms: नखरा (nakhraa, colloquial, implies affectation), अंदाज़ (andaaz)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is prime Delhi college-canteen vocabulary: कोई भाव नहीं दे रहा (koii bhaav nahiin de rahaa, 'nobody's paying me any attention') is a classic complaint, and वो बहुत भाव खाती है (vo bahut bhaav khaatii hai, 'she acts really stuck-up') is a common gossip line about someone playing aloof or hard-to-get.
Common Mistakes: 1) भाव देना (bhaav denaa) does not mean 'to give a feeling' here -- it means 'to pay attention to' or 'to acknowledge' someone, almost always in a social/romantic context. 2) भाव खाना (bhaav khaanaa) literally 'to eat attitude' is a fixed colloquial idiom meaning to act too important or play hard to get -- it cannot be swapped for a literal translation.
Sample Sentences:
यार, वो तो बहुत भाव खाती है। Dude, she acts really stuck-up.
(yaar, vo to bahut bhaav khaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मैंने उसे तीन बार मैसेज किया, पर कोई भाव नहीं दे रहा। I messaged him three times, but he's not giving me any attention.
(mainne use tiin baar maisej kiyaa, par koii bhaav nahiin de rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसके चेहरे पर गुस्से का भाव साफ दिख रहा था। The expression of anger on his face was clearly visible.
(uske chehre par gusse kaa bhaav saaph dikh rahaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
भाव मत खा, सीधे बता दे कि तुझे क्या चाहिए। Don't act all high and mighty, just tell me straight what you want.
(bhaav mat khaa, siidhe bataa de ki tujhe kyaa chaahie।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वो थोड़ा कम भाव खाती, तो शायद उसके दोस्त ज्यादा होते। If she acted a little less stuck-up, maybe she'd have more friends.
(agar vo thodaa kam bhaav khaatii, to shaayad uske dost jyaadaa hote।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पार्टी में सब उससे बात करना चाहते थे, पर वो किसी को भाव नहीं दे रही थी। At the party everyone wanted to talk to her, but she wasn't giving anyone the time of day.
(paartii men sab usse baat karnaa chaahte the, par vo kisii ko bhaav nahiin de rahii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसका भाव देखकर लगा जैसे वो हमें जानती ही नहीं। Seeing her air, it felt as if she didn't even know us.
(uskaa bhaav dekhkar lagaa jaise vo hamen jaantii hii nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया अपने भाव में थोड़ी विनम्रता लाइए। Please bring a little humility to your manner.
(kripyaa apne bhaav men thodii vinamrtaa laaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुझे नहीं लगता कि वो जानबूझकर ऐसा भाव दिखाती हो, शायद उसका स्वभाव ही ऐसा है। I don't think she shows that attitude on purpose, maybe that's just her nature.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki vo jaanboojhkar aisaa bhaav dikhaatii ho, shaayad uskaa svabhaav hii aisaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कैंटीन में सब उसे घूर रहे थे, पर वो कोई भाव नहीं दे रहा था। Everyone in the canteen was staring at him, but he wasn't paying anyone any attention.
(kaintiin men sab use ghoor rahe the, par vo koii bhaav nahiin de rahaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतना भाव मत दिखा यार, हम भी उतने ही अच्छे हैं जितना तू सोचता है खुद को। Don't put on so much attitude, man, we're just as good as you think you are.
(itnaa bhaav mat dikhaa yaar, ham bhii utne hii achchhe hain jitnaa too sochtaa hai khud ko।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): भाव (bhaav)
(sg.m.oblique): भाव (bhaav)
(pl.m.direct): भाव (bhaav)
(pl.m.oblique): भावों (bhaavon)