हँसी (hansii)
noun
A noun meaning 'laughter/laugh' or, in extended use, 'a joke/joking matter'; closely related to the verb हँसना (hansnaa, 'to laugh').
Sense
1
:
laughter, the act or sound of laughing
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Just like नींद (niind, 'sleep') or भूख (bhookh, 'hunger'), हँसी (hansii) is treated as something that 'comes' to you -- हँसी आना (hansii aanaa) -- rather than something you actively produce, which is a classic example of Hindi's involuntary-experience frame.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use हँसना (hansnaa) where a noun is needed, e.g. saying something like 'उसकी हँसना' instead of उसकी हँसी (uskii hansii, 'her laughter') -- remember हँसी (hansii) is the noun form. 2) हँसी आना (hansii aanaa, 'to feel like laughing') uses the dative-subject pattern the learner already knows from नींद आना (niind aanaa) -- मुझे हँसी आ रही है (mujhe hansii aa rahii hai, 'I feel like laughing') rather than मैं हँसी ला रहा हूँ.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे उसकी बात सुनकर हँसी आ गई।
Laughter came over me when I heard what he said.
(mujhe uskii baat sunkar hansii aa gaii।)
उसकी हँसी पूरे कमरे में गूँज रही थी।
Her laughter was echoing throughout the room.
(uskii hansii poore kamre men goonj rahii thii।)
बच्चों की हँसी सुनकर दिल खुश हो जाता है।
Hearing children's laughter makes the heart happy.
(bachchon kii hansii sunkar dil khush ho jaataa hai।)
अपनी हँसी रोक लो, यहाँ शांति रखनी है।
Hold back your laughter, we need to keep quiet here.
(apnii hansii rok lo, yahaan shaanti rakhnii hai।)
अगर वह चुटकुला सुनता तो उसे भी हँसी आती।
If he had heard that joke, he too would have burst into laughter.
(agar vah chutkulaa suntaa to use bhii hansii aatii।)
शायद उसे मेरी बात पर हँसी आ जाए।
Maybe laughter will come to her at what I said.
(shaayad use merii baat par hansii aa jaae।)
उसकी हँसी में एक अजीब सी उदासी छिपी थी।
In her laughter, a strange sadness was hidden.
(uskii hansii men ek ajiib sii udaasii chhipii thii।)
उसकी हँसी से पूरा हॉल गूँज उठा।
The whole hall rang out with his laughter.
(uskii hansii se pooraa hol goonj uthaa।)
सभा में उपस्थित लोगों की हँसी से माहौल हल्का कर दिया गया।
The atmosphere was lightened by the laughter of those present at the gathering.
(sabhaa men upasthit logon kii hansii se maahaul halkaa kar diyaa gayaa।)
उसकी हँसी हमेशा दूसरों को भी हँसाती है।
Her laughter always makes others laugh too.
(uskii hansii hameshaa doosron ko bhii hansaatii hai।)
इतनी देर हो गई है, फिर भी उसकी हँसी नहीं रुक रही।
So much time has passed, yet her laughter still isn't stopping.
(itnii der ho gaii hai, phir bhii uskii hansii nahiin ruk rahii।)
Sense
2
:
a joke, something laughable or not to be taken seriously
noun, feminine
Synonyms: मज़ाक (mazaak), मसख़री (masakhrii, colloquial)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear यह हँसी की बात नहीं (yah hansii kii baat nahiin) a lot from elders scolding someone for joking about something serious -- it is the natural Hindi equivalent of 'this is no joke.'
Common Mistakes: 1) यह हँसी की बात नहीं है (yah hansii kii baat nahiin hai, 'this is no laughing matter') is a set phrase learners should recognize as a whole -- do not translate word by word expecting 'laughter' alone to carry the idiomatic sense.
Sample Sentences:
यह हँसी की बात नहीं है।
This is no joke.
(yah hansii kii baat nahiin hai।)
पापा ने कहा कि परीक्षा में नकल करना हँसी की बात नहीं है।
Papa said that cheating in the exam is no laughing matter.
(paapaa ne kahaa ki pariikshaa men nakal karnaa hansii kii baat nahiin hai।)
उसने मेरी बात को हँसी में उड़ा दिया।
He brushed off what I said as a joke.
(usne merii baat ko hansii men udaa diyaa।)
यह सब हँसी में मत लो, मामला गंभीर है।
Don't take all this as a joke, the matter is serious.
(yah sab hansii men mat lo, maamlaa gambhiir hai।)
अगर वह मेरी बात को हँसी में न लेता, तो शायद समझ जाता।
If he hadn't taken what I said as a joke, he might have understood.
(agar vah merii baat ko hansii men n letaa, to shaayad samajh jaataa।)
बच्चे अक्सर बड़ों की सीख को हँसी समझकर टाल देते हैं।
Children often brush off elders' advice, thinking it's just a joke.
(bachche aksar badon kii siikh ko hansii samajhkar taal dete hain।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि यह कोई हँसी की बात है?
Do you think this is some kind of joke?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki yah koii hansii kii baat hai?)
माना कि उसने मज़ाक में कहा था, लेकिन यह हँसी की बात नहीं थी।
Granted he said it as a joke, but it was no laughing matter.
(maanaa ki usne mazaak men kahaa thaa, lekin yah hansii kii baat nahiin thii।)
महोदय, कृपया इसे हँसी में न लें, यह एक गंभीर शिकायत है।
Sir, please don't take this as a joke, it's a serious complaint.
(mahoday, kripyaa ise hansii men n len, yah ek gambhiir shikaayat hai।)
उम्मीद है कि वे इस बात को हँसी में न लें।
I hope they don't take this matter as a joke.
(ummiid hai ki ve is baat ko hansii men n len।)
सीमा पर तनाव को हँसी में उड़ाना ठीक नहीं होगा।
It won't be right to dismiss the tension at the border as a joke.
(siimaa par tanaav ko hansii men udaanaa thiik nahiin hogaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
हँसी
(hansii)
(sg.f.oblique):
हँसी
(hansii)
(pl.f.direct):
हँसियाँ
(hansiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
हँसियों
(hansiyon)