Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
अब. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
अब, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
अब in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
अब you have here. The definition of the word
अब will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
अब, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Hindi
Etymology
Inherited from Prakrit 𑀳𑀯𑁆𑀯𑀁 (havvaṃ) or 𑀅𑀯𑁆𑀯𑀁 (avvaṃ), from Sanskrit अ (a, “this”) + एवम् एव (evam eva, “just now”). Compare जब (jab), तब (tab), and कब (kab). Cognate with Bengali এবে (ebe).
Adverb
अब • (ab) (Urdu spelling اب)
- now
- अब क्या करोगे? ― ab kyā karoge? ― What will you do now?
- after all
जायज़ है कि घोड़े नहीं उड़ सकते, अब वो कोई पंछी हैं क्या?- jāyaz hai ki ghoṛe nahī̃ uṛ sakte, ab vo koī pañchī ha͠i kyā?
- It's obvious that horses can't fly, after all they are not birds, are they?
Coordinate terms
| type
|
interrogative
|
relative
|
proximal demonstrative
|
distal demonstrative
|
indefinite
|
| basic
|
non-emphatic
|
कौन (kaun, “who?”),
क्या (kyā, “what?”)
|
जो (jo)
|
यह (yah)
|
वह (vah)
|
कुछ (kuch), कोई (koī),
कुछ-न-कुछ (kuch-na-kuch),
कोई-न-कोई (koī-na-koī)
|
| emphatic
|
-
|
जो भी (jo bhī)
|
यही (yahī)
|
वही (vahī)
|
कोई भी (koī bhī), कुछ भी (kuch bhī)
|
| time
|
non-emphatic
|
कब (kab)
|
जब (jab)
|
अब (ab)
|
तब (tab)
|
कभी (kabhī)
|
| emphatic
|
-
|
जभी (jabhī)
|
अभी (abhī)
|
तभी (tabhī)
|
कभी भी (kabhī bhī)
|
| place
|
non-emphatic
|
कहाँ (kahā̃)
|
जहाँ (jahā̃)
|
यहाँ (yahā̃)
|
वहाँ (vahā̃)
|
कहीं (kahī̃, “somewhere”)
|
| emphatic
|
-
|
जहीं (jahī̃)
|
यहीं (yahī̃)
|
वहीं (vahī̃)
|
कहीं भी (kahī̃ bhī, “anywhere”)
|
| quantity
|
कितना (kitnā)
|
जितना (jitnā)
|
इतना (itnā)
|
उतना (utnā)
|
-
|
| direction
|
किधर (kidhar)
|
जिधर (jidhar)
|
इधर (idhar)
|
उधर (udhar)
|
-
|
| quality
|
कैसा (kaisā)
|
जैसा (jaisā)
|
ऐसा (aisā)
|
वैसा (vaisā), तैसा m (taisā)
|
कोई सा (koī sā)
|
| manner
|
कैसे (kaise)
|
जैसे (jaise)
|
ऐसे (aise),
|
वैसे (vaise), तैसे (taise)
|
-
|
| reason/manner
|
क्यों (kyõ)
|
ज्यों (jyõ)
|
क्योंकि (kyõki), यों (yõ)
|
त्यों (tyõ)
|
Derived terms
References
- McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “अब”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
- Platts, John T. (1884) “अब”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
- “अब”, in Collins Gem Hindi-English Dictionary, Collins, 2011, →ISBN
- Caturvedi, Mahendra, Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970) “अब”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House
- Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ēvam ēva”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press
Nepali
Etymology
Inherited from Sanskrit अ (a) + एवम् एव (evam eva). Compare Hindi अब (ab).
Pronunciation
Adverb
अब • (aba)
- now