# Hindi: Khwaab



## Kahaani

Hi,

I always thought that _khwaab_ means 'dream' both in Hindi and Urdu, but I've recently discovered that _khwaab_ means 'nightmare' exclusively in Hindi, is this true? 

P.S. How would one translate 'nightmare' in Urdu? 

Thank you,


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## littlepond

^ No; "khwaab" means the same in both Urdu and Hindi, i.e. "dream". (I think some might like to remind us that it should be transliterated as 'xwaab' in Urdu.)

For nightmare, we don't have one word in the day-to-day language in Hindi; we say 'Daraavnaa sapnaa" (terrifying dream).


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## Alfaaz

Urdu: 

Nightmare: کابوس ؛ (برا/ڈراونا/خوف ناک/حول ناک) خواب - _kaabuus; (buraa/daraa'onaa/xauf-naak/Haul-naak) xaab 
_
Note: خواب - _xaab_ can also mean _sleep_. 

_Insomnia:_ بے خوابی - _be-xaabii_


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## mundiya

For nightmare in Hindi there is also "bhayaanak sapnaa".  A formal, technical term is "duhsvapn".


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## Kahaani

I know that _xwaab_ is used in Persian to mean to sleep but I never knew it was used in Urdu to mean sleep as well. Can you use it as a verb in Urdu? I.e. _xwaab karnaa_?



> _(buraa/daraa'onaa/xauf-naak/Haul-naak) xaab_


What do _daraa'onaa, xauf-naak, _and_ haul-naak _mean? I presume that_ daraa'onaa_ has something to do with _darnaa. _

Thank you,


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## tonyspeed

In addition, I have also heard "buraa sapnaa" on TV which seems to be even simpler language than the other examples posted.


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## Kahaani

tonyspeed said:


> In addition, I have also heard "buraa sapnaa" on TV which seems to be even simpler language than the other examples posted.



I agree, much simpler. I guess this is more common in Hindi than in Urdu?


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## Qureshpor

Kahaani said:


> Hi,
> 
> I always thought that _khwaab_ means 'dream' both in Hindi and Urdu, but I've recently discovered that _khwaab_ means 'nightmare' exclusively in Hindi, is this true?
> 
> P.S. How would one translate 'nightmare' in Urdu?
> 
> Thank you,


As is already shown in # post 3, in Urdu the word is xvaab or xaab and never khwaab. Apart from a "dream", it has other meanings, one of them being "sleep" as in xvaab-gaah/bedroom; xvaab-aavar/sleep-inducing

For a nightmare, the common everyday expression is "Daraa'onaa xvaab".

As we are discussing Urdu as well in this thread, perhaps the thread titlle could be amended to reflect this.

Etymologically, I believe both xvaab and sapnaa are connected.


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## Stranger_

> What do _daraa'onaa, xauf-naak, and haul-naak mean?_



Frightening/scary/terrifying/horrible

---

Question:

Is "vahshatnaak xaab وحشتناک خواب" also used? I am asking because "xaab-e vahshatnaak" is the most common phrase used in Persian along with "kaabuus" to translate "a scary dream/a nightmare".


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## tonyspeed

Qureshpor said:


> As is already shown in # post 3, in Urdu the word is xvaab or xaab and never khwaab. Apart from a "dream", it has other meanings, one of them being "sleep" as in xvaab-gaah/bedroom; xvaab-aavar/sleep-inducing
> 
> For a nightmare, the common everyday expression is "Daraa'onaa xvaab".
> 
> As we are discussing Urdu as well in this thread, perhaps the thread titlle could be amended to reflect this.
> 
> Etymologically, I believe both xvaab and sapnaa are connected.



xwaab/khaab is also used in Hindi in slightly different ways.


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## Alfaaz

Kahaani said:
			
		

> Can you use it as a verb in Urdu? I.e. _xwaab karnaa_?


 It doesn't seem to be used as a verb.





			
				Kahaani said:
			
		

> I guess this is more common in Hindi than in Urdu?


 _buraa_ was also listed in post #3 for Urdu and is commonly used.





			
				Kahaani said:
			
		

> What do _daraa'onaa, xauf-naak, _and_ haul-naak _mean? I presume that_ daraa'onaa_ has something to do with _darnaa. _


 As Stranger_ SaaHib has mentioned, all of the words listed in this thread (including _bhayaanak_ suggested in post #4, which is also used in Urdu) are related to the following meanings: _terrifying, scary, frightening, horrifying, bad, etc. 
_


			
				Stranger_ said:
			
		

> Question:
> 
> Is "vahshatnaak xaab وحشتناک خواب" also used?


 Yes, _waHshat-naak_ could be used as well as ہیبت ناک - _haibat-naak_.


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## Qureshpor

Alfaaz said:


> It doesn't seem to be used as a verb...[...]


I might be missing something Alfaaz SaaHib but what about "xvaab (meN) dekhnaa"?


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## Alfaaz

Qureshpor said:
			
		

> I might be missing something Alfaaz SaaHib but what about "xvaab (meN) dekhnaa"?


 In this case, would it not be _to (see in a) dream_?

 Are you suggesting that _xaab/neend karnaa_ is appropriate for _to sleep - sonaa_.


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## Qureshpor

Alfaaz said:


> In this case, would it not be _to (see in a) dream_?
> Are you suggesting that _xaab/neend karnaa_ is appropriate for _to sleep - sonaa_.


Yes.

No.


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## mundiya

Is "sapnaa" also used in Urdu?


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## Qureshpor

mundiya said:


> Is "sapnaa" also used in Urdu?


Yes, it is although the far more common word is xvaab/xaab.  Although "sapnaa" is often  found in poetry, it also exists in prose.

rahe raat kii raat sidhaar ga'e mujhe *sapnaa *samajh ke bisaar ga'e
maiN thii haar gale se utaar ga'e maiN diyaa thii jise vuh bujhaa hii gae

Akhtar Sherani

  jism damaktaa, zulf ghanerii, rangiiN lab, aaNkheN jaaduu
sang-i-marmar, uudaa baadal, surKH shafaq, HairaaN aahuu

  tum se duurii, yih majbuurii, zaKhm hai kaarii, bedaarii
tanhaa raateN, *sapne* kaateN, KHud se baateN, merii KHuu

Javed Akhtar

  There is a proverb, you may have heard.

guuNge ne *sapnaa *dekhaa, man hii man pachhtaa'e


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## marrish

sapnaa is also used in Urdu colloquially but I agree that it's less used than خواب . _xwaab dekhnaa/sapnaa dekhnaa_ = to dream (also while not sleeping!). _Daraa'onaa/buraa/xauf-naak etc. and also dahshat-naak xwaab dekhnaa_ - to have a nightmare.


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## marrish

Kahaani said:


> Hi,
> 
> I always thought that _khwaab_ means 'dream' both in Hindi and Urdu, but I've recently discovered that _khwaab_ means 'nightmare' exclusively in Hindi, is this true?


Now I can see from where this suspicion arose, shabdkosh online. Please rely on our Hindi experts here instead of shabdkosh.


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## Alfaaz

(Note: This was meant to be posted earlier. Due to the effort involved, it seemed like a good idea to go ahead and still post it now!) Qureshpor and marrish SaaHibaan have already answered this question, but a few more examples are given below. 





			
				mundiya said:
			
		

> Is "sapnaa" also used in Urdu?


This question is similar to the one Kahaani asked in Hindi/Urdu: Life about _jeevan _and the answer is also probably similar: _sapnaa_ is used a lot in literature and lyrics, but doesn't seem to be very common in spoken language/dialogues. Examples of _sapnaa_ and_ xaab_:




_kal hum ne *sapnaa* dekhaa hai
jo apnaa ho naheeN saktaa hai
us shaxs ko apnaa dekhaa hai

Ibn-e-Inshaa'_
کل ہم نے *سپنا* دیکھا ہے 
جو اپنا ہو نہیں سکتا ہے 
اُس شخص کو اپنا دیکھا ہے 

ابنِ انشا​_band aaNkhoN meN *sapne* the
*sapnoN* meN tum apne the
aaNkh khulii to hum ne yeh jaanaa
*sapne* aaxir *sapne* the

Qateel Shifai (?) ; Film: Ganwaar (1975)_
بند آنکھوں میں *سپنے* تھے
*سپنوں* میں تم اپنے تھے
آنکھ کھلی تو ہم نے یہ جانا
*سپنے* آخر *سپنے* تھے

قتیل شفائی (؟) ؛ فلم: گنوار
_dekhne ko humeN woh *xaab* mile
soch kar bhii jinheN sawaab mile

kis kaa chehrah Qateel paRhte hum
log oRhe hu'e niqaab mile

Qateel Shifai_
دیکھنے کو ہمیں وہ *خواب* ملے
سوچ کر بھی جنہیں ثواب ملے

کس کا چہرہ قتیل پڑھتے ہم 
لوگ اوڑھے ہوئے نقاب ملے

قتیل شفائی
_jaagti aankhoN se ae dil kis li'e *sapne* buneN
is Haqeeqat ke jahaaN meN *xaab* kaa kyaa kaam hai

is fasaane kaa nah jaane kaun se anjaam hai
naam hai xatt peh kisi kaa, xatt kisi ke naam hai

Tasleem Fazli ; Film: Chori Chori_
جاگتی آنکھوں سے اے دل کس لیے *سپنے* بنیں
اس حقیقت کے جہاں میں *خواب* کا کیا کام ہے

اس فسانے کا نہ جانے کون سا انجام ہے
نام ہے خط پہ کسی کا ، خط کسی کے نام ہے

تسلیم فاضلی ؛ فلم: چوری چوری
_ko'ii sitaarah ko'ii ishaarah, aa'e mujhe be-chaen kare
aaNsuu jhalke, aaNkh se chhalke, ruk ruk Dhalke bain kare
jaltii shaam ko rain kare 
so'e raheN phir bhaag aur man *sapne* bune

Mohsin Raza (?)_
کوئی ستارہ کوئی اشارہ ، آئے مجھے بے چین کرے
آنسو جھلکے، آنکھ سے چھلکے، رک رک ڈھلکے بین کرے
جلتی شام کو رین کرے
سوئے رہیں پھر بھاگ اور من *سپنے* بنے

(؟) محسن رضا 
_*xaab* dil haiN, nah aaNkheN, nah saaNseN
keh jo rezah rezah hu'e to bikhar jaa'eN ge
jism kii maut se yeh bhii mar jaa'eN ge
*xaab* marte naheeN

Ahmad Faraz_
*خواب* دل ہیں ، نہ آنکھیں ، نہ سانسیں 
کہ جو ریزہ ریزہ ہوئے تو بکھر جائیں گے 
جسم کی موت سے یہ بھی مر جائیں گے 
*خواب* مرتے نہیں

احمد فراز


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## Qureshpor

Kahaani said:


> [...]P.S. How would one translate 'nightmare' in Urdu? Thank you,


Here are a couple of literary words for a nightmare in Urdu.

xvaab-i-pareshaaN

xvaab-i-aashuftah


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## gagun

can बद् ख़्वाबी=دُسْوَپْن mean nightmare?


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