Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| चाहना | cāhnā | /t͡ʃɑːɦ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| तमन्ना | tamannā | /t̪ə.mən.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
The primary way to express the verb 'to wish' or 'to hope for an outcome' is using the verb चाहना. When you want to use a noun to mean 'desire' or 'wish', you can use आशा, इच्छा or अभिलाषा.
Which one should you use?
चाहना is a general verb used for both 'to want' and 'to wish' in everyday contexts. For a more formal and standard noun meaning 'wish' or 'desire', use इच्छा. In contrast, तमन्ना is a feminine noun often used in poetry, songs and romantic literature to express a deep or soulful wish.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal and polite way to express a wish, you can use kamna. The term shubhkamnayein is a general term used for conveying good wishes in both formal and informal contexts. While इच्छा is a formal and standard noun, तमन्ना carries a poetic register.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a transitive verb, चाहना requires an object or a subordinate clause to complete its meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of cāhnā is /tʃɑːɦ.nɑː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word तमन्ना for 'wish' is not native to Hindi but was borrowed from Classical Persian and originally comes from Arabic.
- In common speech, चाहना can be used to express 'to love' in certain poetic contexts, moving beyond a simple 'wish' for an outcome.
- The word इच्छा for 'wish' is often used in the phrase इच्छा शक्ति to describe 'willpower', treating the 'wish' as a source of strength.
Examples in context
- तुम्हारी सभी ख्वाहिशें पूरी हों।May all your wishes come true.
- शुभकामनाएँ देना मेरी पसंदीदा बात है।It is my favorite thing to convey good wishes.
- उन्हें मेरी शुभकामनाएँ प्राप्त हों।May they receive my good wishes.
Example conversation
Aditya and Priya are talking about their future goals.
- आदित्य Adityaमैं एक बड़ी नौकरी चाहना चाहता हूँ।Main ek badi naukri chaahna chaahata hoon.I wish for a big job.
- प्रिया Priyaयह बहुत अच्छी बात है, आदित्य।Yeh bahut acchi baat hai, Aditya.That is a very good thing, Aditya.
- आदित्य Adityaऔर तुम क्या चाहना चाहती हो, प्रिया?Aur tum kya chaahna chaahati ho, Priya?And what do you wish for, Priya?
- प्रिया Priyaमैं दुनिया घूमना चाहना चाहती हूँ।Main duniya ghoomna chaahna chaahati hoon.I wish to travel the world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wish” translations and entries चाहना, तमन्ना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चाहना, तमन्ना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
