हाथ
hāth
/ɦaːt̪/
Definition
The hand, the part of the body at the end of the arm with fingers. Also used in many common expressions about help, work, or skill.
Example
उसने मेरा हाथ थामकर मुझे संभाला।
Show translation
She held my hand and helped me stay steady.
Etymology
From Sanskrit हस्त (hasta), meaning "hand." The word traveled through Middle Indo-Aryan with the 's' softening and the 't' remaining, arriving in modern Hindi as हाथ. The same Sanskrit root gave rise to related words across South and Southeast Asian languages.
Cultural note
हाथ carries enormous cultural weight in Hindi. Offering both hands palms-up (हाथ जोड़ना, "to join hands") is a gesture of greeting or supplication. Phrases like हाथ बँटाना ("to share a hand") mean to help someone, and हाथ साफ़ करना ("to clean one's hand") is a colloquial idiom for stealing — so context matters! The hand also features prominently in mehndi (henna) traditions at weddings.