सुबह
subah
/ˈsʊb.ɦə/
Definition
The early part of the day; the time after the night ends and before noon. Often used to describe morning routines or a fresh start.
Example
हर सुबह वह चाय पीता है।
Show translation
Every morning he drinks tea.
Etymology
From Arabic **صُبْح** (ṣubḥ), meaning "morning" or "dawn," which entered Hindi through Persian during the medieval period. The Arabic root is connected to the verb meaning "to become morning." This is one of many time-of-day words in Hindi that trace back to the Perso-Arabic influence on the language.
Cultural note
Morning holds special significance in Indian culture. Many Hindus begin the day with prayers at sunrise (called **प्रातःकाल** in Sanskrit-heavy registers), and the greeting **सुप्रभात** (good morning) is its formal, Sanskrit-derived counterpart. In everyday speech, **सुबह** is by far the more common word. A common idiom, **सुबह का भूला शाम को घर आ जाए**, roughly means "one who went astray in the morning should return by evening" — a saying about forgiveness and second chances.