Dil: The Heart in Hindi and Urdu Poetry

Open almost any collection of love shayari, and you will find दिल (dil), the heart, within a few lines.

The heart as a person

In shayari, the heart is almost a character. It can be stolen, broken, mended, given away, teased and consoled.

Common phrases

Phrase	Meaning
दिल देना	to give one's heart
दिल लगाना	to fall for someone
दिल टूटना	for a heart to break
दिल जीतना	to win someone's heart
दिल की बात	what is in one's heart
दिल बहलाना	to console oneself
दिल धड़कना	for the heart to beat fast

Words for the heart

• दिल (dil), the usual word
• जिगर (jigar), liver, used for courage and deep feeling
• क़ल्ब (qalb), a literary Arabic-origin word for the heart

Related words

• धड़कन (dhadkan), heartbeat
• दिलबर (dilbar), one who captures the heart
• दिलरुबा (dilruba), a heart-stealing beloved
• दिल्लगी (dillagee), playful teasing, flirtation

The heart and the mind

Poets often set the heart against the mind. The heart wants, and the mind warns. This tension creates many famous verses.

An original example

दिल को समझाया बहुत, पर ये माना ही नहीं, तेरे सिवा किसी को अपना जाना ही नहीं।

Dil ko samjhaaya bahut, par ye maana hee nahin, tere siva kisee ko apna jaana hee nahin. I tried hard to reason with my heart, but it would not listen; it never knew anyone as its own but you.

An original couplet for illustration only.

Idioms

Many of these phrases are used in everyday speech, so learning them also helps your spoken Hindi.

Tips

1. Learn the dil phrases.
2. Notice the heart versus mind theme.
3. Browse by mood for heart verses.

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