Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| आलिंगन | āliṅgan | /ɑː.lɪŋ.ɡən/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| आग़ोश | āġoś | /ɑː.ɣoːʃ/ (Hindi, Standard) /ɑː.ɡoːʃ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
The term refers to an affectionate embrace. Depending on the context, you might use a formal noun, a poetic term or slang.
Which one should you use?
आलिंगन is the standard masculine noun, while आग़ोश is a rare, feminine term. While आलिंगन describes the act of hugging, आग़ोश is often used in a literary sense to describe being in someone's arms or a lap.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
आलिंगन is a formal and literary term. For something much more casual, you can use the slang term Jhappi or the informal phrase Gale lagana to mean 'to give a hug'. आग़ोश is a highly poetic term often found in literature.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun आलिंगन is masculine, meaning any adjectives used to describe it must also be in the masculine form. In contrast, आग़ोश is a feminine noun, which is typical for many words in Hindi of Persian or Arabic origin. To use the noun आलिंगन as a verb meaning 'to hug' or 'to embrace', you must add the auxiliary verb करना (to do) to form आलिंगन करना.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ɑː.lɪŋ.ɡən/ (āliṅgan).
Did you know?
- In traditional Indian social settings, a hug is often preceded by a 'Namaste' gesture, as physical touch is historically reserved for very close relations.
- While आलिंगन is a formal Sanskrit-derived word, the poetic आग़ोश is a Persian loanword, showing how Hindi blends two distinct linguistic families for emotional expressions.
- The term Jhappi is so culturally ingrained that it is often used to describe a 'warm' or 'soulful' hug that transcends mere physical contact.
Examples in context
- माता का आलिंगन सबसे सुरक्षित होता है।maata ka aalingan sabse surakshit hota hai.A mother's embrace is the safest.
- दो मित्रों का आलिंगन भावुक था।do mitron ka aalingan bhaavuk tha.The embrace of the two friends was emotional.
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are greeting each other after a long time.
- अमित Amitपूजा, तुम्हें देखकर बहुत खुशी हुई!pooja, tumhein dekhkar bahut khushi hui!Pooja, I am so happy to see you!
- पूजा Poojaमुझे भी, अमित! मुझे एक आलिंगन चाहिए।mujhe bhi, amit! mujhe ek aalingan chahiye.Me too, Amit! I need a hug.
- अमित Amitज़रूर, आओ यहाँ!zaroor, aao yahaan!Sure, come here!
- पूजा Poojaयह आलिंगन बहुत सुकून देने वाला है।yeh aalingan bahut sukoon dene vaala hai.This hug is very comforting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hug” translations and entries आलिंगन, आग़ोश, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
