# Urdu, Hindi: vanity



## marrish

I am unable to think of a better equivalent for vanity than _xwud-parastii_ in Urdu and for Hindi I have no idea whatsoever. Given that both languages sport a wide range of synonyms, many words would be worth of looking at but it is difficult to make my mind without consultation at here.

As illustrative usages we can take "Vanity Fair" or a sentence: "His behaviour is inspired by pure vanity".


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## Qureshpor

Platts gives 43 equivalents for "vanity" in Urdu and Hindi.

http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/showrest_?conc.6.1.10290.0.42.platts

One of the simplest ones is "tamak"................"tamak-melaa"?.

Platts gives "xud-biinii" as vanity and not "xud-parastii".


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## Wolverine9

I'm not sure if it covers the full scope of vanity, but a possible word in Hindi is _ghamanD_.


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## Chhaatr

For Hindi I would go for ahaNkaar, ghamaND, guruur.

Uskaa aachraran puurntaha ahaNkaar se prabhaavit hai. 

Pls excuse my transliteration in case inadvertent errors have crept in.


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## Sheikh_14

Qureshpor said:


> Platts gives 43 equivalents for "vanity" in Urdu and Hindi.
> 
> http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/showrest_?conc.6.1.10290.0.42.platts
> 
> One of the simplest ones is "tamak"................"tamak-melaa"?.
> 
> Platts gives "xud-biinii" as vanity and not "xud-parastii".



How about khud pasand signfying a selfophile. Perhaps khud parasti is nearer to self indulgence than self love.


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## fdb

I trust that everyone on here realises that “vanity” has too different meanings in English: “futility” and “arrogance, pride”. I doubt whether you will find an Urdu/Hindi word that covers both meanings.


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## marrish

fdb said:


> I trust that everyone on here realises that “vanity” has too different meanings in English: “futility” and “arrogance, pride”. I doubt whether you will find an Urdu/Hindi word that covers both meanings.


Thanks, it is a good remark. Had it been so simple I would not have gone for asking it here.

I am looking for: " *excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements* ", not for  " a bathroom cabinet that encloses a basin and its water lines and drain, usually furnished with shelves and drawers underneath for storage of toiletries." nor arrogance or pride. Futility fits well into this idea which I am trying to enquire. Moreover, despite your doubt I hope there is something there in Urdu or Hindi, I would be surprised to learn we finished with nothing.

Addition: from a Persian thread this is perhaps a good hint: 





Ben422 said:


> I guess that kind of vanity is totally different from بیهودگی and پوچی. We'd better use words like *خودشیفتگی *,*نخوت *,*افاده *,*به خود نازیدن*, etc here.


 Also if you click on the right side after the poster's name you will be taken to the thread itself in which [seitt's] description in English is good for this thread.


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## marrish

I'm not so conversant with religious ideas, pity me, but I think this peculiarity would be mentioned in religious sources, which are the most translated ever. ahNkaar as 'ego' can encompass this idea for Hindi but I think it is much more spacious. If it is not possible to come with a noun, maybe a sentence or an idiom can be found. ''naaz'' comes to mind but it tends to have positive connotations.


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## Cilquiestsuens

IMHO, the closest Urdu fit for vanity is *ghuroor*, on account of its original meaning, which contains an idea of delusion. (Cf: Q: 82:6 : *yaa ayyuhaa 'l-insaanu ma gharraka birabbika al-kariimi*." and others)


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## Alfaaz

marrish said:
			
		

> I am looking for: " *excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements* "
> ...
> I'm not so conversant with religious ideas, pity me, but I think this peculiarity would be mentioned in religious sources, which are the most translated ever.


 In addition to غرور - _ghuruur_ (mentioned by Cilquiestsuens SaaHib), تکبر -_takabbur_ also seems to be used in religious contexts. Different types are often described by izaafats such as: تکبر علمی، تکبر مال، تکبر حسن، وغیرہ وغیرہ 

مختال - _muxtaal _could probably be used as another adjective (in addition to those listed in the defintion): مغرور، متکبر، جو اپنے آپ کو بہت بڑا سمجھے - _maghruur, mutakabbir, jo apne aap ko bahut baRaa samjhe_

عُجب - _u'jb_ - seems to be a good equivalent for what marrish SaaHib is describing in his post. (Examples of usage in Urdu can be found online...they would be too long to include as quotes here, but can be shared by PM if anyone is interested.) 

Edit: References and examples of usage were removed, but can be provided via PM.


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## marrish

Your research and insight it so much appreciated, Alfaaz SaaHib. If you have those examples at hand, do consider posting them for me via PM, if you can. I think you have cracked this hard nut. _Ghuruur_, yes, _takabbur_, yes, but they imply something conscious! 

Thanks to Cilquiestsuens SaaHib I can see it may be perhaps not what is intended in my query, that is perhaps what the footballer Ibrahimovic said yesterday that he was God. I mean the comparison. 

Here I am talking about a girl or a boy who does not ascribe or even think about any godly characteristics but is just preoccupied with him or herself, with the looks, eloquence or what is being called nowadays, being "sexy" but at the same time not realising anything else.

Good thread for me as the OP. I think we can continue. Having seen the description in Platts, I'm enamoured by it but I hope we can also comment on it.


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## littlepond

हिन्दी: गुमान (आम भाषा में)

अधिक साहित्यक: दंभ

ये दोनो ही शब्द उस लड़के या लड़की के लिए इस्तेमाल किए जा सकते हैं जो स्वयम् में लिप्त है: जो गुमानी है, जो दंभी है| William Makepeace Thackeray के उपन्यास Vanity Fair के शीर्षक को हिन्दी में "गुमान का मेला" के रूप में अनुवादित किया जा सकता है|


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## Faylasoof

marrish SaaHib, as we all agree the word _vanity_ can be used in many different  ways.

Apart from the above examples, there area these, depending how one is using “vanity” in English (either including or excluding your specific example):

 - To have excessive pride in / admiration of one's own appearance or one's achievements = خود بینی xud biinii  /   خود نمائی   xud numaa’ii / خود پرستی xud parastii / خود پسندی xud pasandii /  خودستائی xud sataa'ii   etc.  in terms of  نَرْگِسِیَّت nargisiyyat = narcissism , self admiration etc.  
نخوت _naxwat_ =  غرور/ گھمنڈ/ تکبر/ خودبینی/ اکڑ/  خودپسندی

As one can see, گھمنڈ *ghamanD* has a bona fide Urdu usage. In fact, in everyday Urdu speech, and esp. our speech, گھمنڈ *ghamanD* is used as much as *Ghuruur *and *takabbur* and more than some other words mentioned above in the same context.

-The quality of being worthless / being  futile =  بے بنیادی / بے حقیقی etc.

Below is the usage of  *خودپرستی* and *خودستائی* :

معترف ہوں میں شمار اہل جوہر میں نہیں
*خودپرستی* کا جنوں لیکن میرے سر میں نہیں
حاسدوں کی یاوہ گوئی سن کے چپ ہوں اس لئے
*خودستائی* کا چلن ارباب جوہر میں نہیں
مُحِب لکھنوی

…and here is the usage of *نخوت* *naxwat* : 

دیکھنا کل ٹھوکریں کھاتے پھریں گے ان کے سر
آج *نخوت* سے زمیں پر جو قدم رکھتے نہیں
انیس


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## Qureshpor

Chhaatr said:


> For Hindi I would go for ahaNkaar, ghamaND, guruur.
> 
> Uskaa aachraran puurntaha ahaNkaar se prabhaavit hai.
> 
> Pls excuse my transliteration in case inadvertent errors have crept in.


I remember this word अहंकार used by Devdaas (Dilip Kumar) when addressing his beloved Paaro. He says.."itnaa ahaNkaar!?"


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## marrish

QP SaaHib, "tamak'' does not belong to my vocabulary in either language, could you elaborate?
littlepond SaaHib, this is the best answer I read in months for Hindi. It is only a pity that this thread is as Urdu as  Hindi so the Urdu speaking people or others can't read what you wrote. They can't appreciate it but I can best because I can read Hindi.

In such a case, especially when we combine Hindi and Urdu we try to speak English and provide transliteration of Urdu or Hindi.


Nevertheless, perhaps I am the only receiver of this message: thank you I am sure you are right about dambh.

FAYLASOOF SaaHib, indebted very much. For the array of words and for the best poetic examples.

This 'thank you' is only intermediary.


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## Qureshpor

marrish said:


> QP SaaHib, "tamak'' does not belong to my vocabulary in either language, could you elaborate?..[..]


No, I can't marrish SaaHib. This word is new to me too but I would n't mind if it were part of my daily vocabulary. It's a nice light weight word and to my ears, "tamak-melaa" does sound quite pleasant!


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## littlepond

क्षमा करें, मार्रिश जी, मेरी चेष्टा यह कतई न थी कि यहाँ के उर्दू शौक़ीन मेरे उत्तर को समझ न सकें: लेकिन कई बार English में लिखते-लिखते हम अपनी धरोहर को भूल जाते हैं| रहा transcription का सवाल, इधर कई बार इस मुद्दे को ले कर विवाद उत्पन्न हो जाते हैं: सो उस को जाने देते हैं! वैसे तो फ़ायलासूफ़ जी ने भी काफ़ी कुछ लिखा है सिर्फ़ उर्दू ज़ुबान में (post no. 13), तो आप को यह स्पष्ट हो चुका होगा कि एक ही भाषा का प्रयोग का आदि केवल मैं ही नहीं हूँ इधर ... जिन में वरिष्ठ सदस्यात् भी!

"तमक" शब्द हिन्दी में ज़रूर प्रयोग होता है (अगर शब्दकोषों में नहीं है तो ... उनकी बला से), लेकिन उसका अर्थ यहाँ प्रस्तावित मतलब से दूर है: जब कोई अपने तेवर ओढ़े हुए हो, जैसे कि कोई क्रोध में या भभक में, इत्यादि, तब हम कहते हैं कि वह व्यक्ति "तमक" में है| और फिर, उच्चारण में "चमक", "दमक" और "तमक" बड़े ही मेल खातें हैं, क्यों है न?


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## marrish

littlepond jii, ab pataa nahiiN kis ''language'' aur kis ''script'' meN aap se baat karuuN chaleN maiN aap ko hiNdii meN likhuuN gaa lekin yih thoRii der ba3d ho gaa, thoRaa saa mushkil hai yih naye computer par.


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## Sheikh_14

If nargisiyyat is the word for narcissism what would we call a narcissist?


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## marrish

Sheikh_14 said:


> If nargisiyyat is the word for narcissism what would we call a narcissist?


نرگسیت۔   یہ ایک داخلی الجھاؤ ہے جو فرد میں کئی ذہنی کیفیات کا سبب بنتا ہے۔ جس شخص میں جو الجھاؤ ہوتا ہے *اسکو نرگسی شخصیت والا کہتے ہیں*۔ نرگسیت کی مختصرتعریف یہ ہو سکتی ہے کہ یہ وہ کیفیت ہے جب فرد میں عشق کا مرکز اسکی اپنی ذات ذات ہوتی ہے۔ خود بینی، خود پرستی اور حب ذات *نرگسی شخصیت* کے اہم عناصر ہیں۔ یہ کیفیت جب شدید صورت میں ظاہر ہو تو فرد میں نفسی اعصابی خلل کا باعث بھی ہوسکتی ہے 
[...]
Source:  2006 سید اقبال امروہوی، نفسیات کا انسائیکلوپیڈیا، نگارشات پبلشرز 24 - مزنگ روڈ لاہور،​(Transliteration)
_nargisiyat. yih ek daaxilii uljhaa'o hae jo fard meN ka'ii Zihnii kaifiyyaat kaa sabab bantaa hae.* jis shaxs meN jo uljhaa'o hotaa hae usko nargisii shaxsiyyat waalaa kahte haiN*. nargisiyyat kii muxtasar t3ariif yih ho saktii hae kih yih wuh kaifiyyat hae jab fard meN 3ishq kaa markaz uskii apnii zaat zaat hotii hae. xud~biinii, xud~parastii aur Hubb-e-zaat *nargisii shaxsiyyat* ke aham 3anaaSir haiN. yih kaifiyyat jab shadiid suurat [...]_

_Some glosses (as it's an Urdu+ thread): _
_daaxilii from daaxil 'inner'._
_fard=shaxs_
_Zihnii from Zihn (pron. zèhn) with a short 'e' - 'mental'_
_muxtasar _
_ta3riif means here 'definition'._
_zaat means "self"_
_biinii is a suffix here meaning "looking at"_
_Hubb=muHabbat._
_3anaaSir pl. of 3unsur 'elements'._
_kaifiyyat 'condition', pl. kaifiyyaat._
_sabab=kaaran_


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## Sheikh_14

So essentially nargisii shaxs would suffice or even nargisii zada, baa-nargisiiyyat, nargisiiyat waalaa/ii, nargisii waalii/aa and so forth. Very detailed response Marrish saaHib. I am sure just as we do for a nafsiiyyaatii mariiz the short-hand for a narcissist could be just plain old nargisii.


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## tonyspeed

I would like to point out vanity also means futility in the English language. No definitions have been mentioned for that.


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## marrish

In posts No. 6 and 7 the word "futility" is mentioned.


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