मज़ा

See also: मोजा, मोज़ा, and मेज़

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian مزه (maza), from Middle Persian m(y)ck' (mazig), from Old Persian [Term?]. Cognate with Sanskrit महस् (mahas, “pleasure, enjoyment”). Compare Assamese মজা (moza), Bengali মজা (moja), Gujarati મજા (majā), Marathi मजा (majā), Nepali मज्जा (majjā), Punjabi ਮਜਾ (majā).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /mə.zɑː/, [mɐ.zäː], /mə.d͡ʒɑː/, [mɐ.d͡ʒäː]

Noun

मज़ा • (mazā) m (Urdu spelling مزہ)

1. joy, pleasure

   घर के मज़े यही हैं। ― ghar ke maze yahī ha͠i. ― These are the joys of home.

   • 1797 – 1869, Ghalib :

     मज़े जहान के अपनी नज़र में ख़ाक नहीं
     सिवाए ख़ून-ए-जिगर सो जिगर में ख़ाक नहीं

     maze jahān ke apnī nazar mẽ xāk nahī̃
     sivāe xūn-e-jigar so jigar mẽ xāk nahī̃

     The joys of the world are are nothing to me
     besides blood there is no feeling in my heart

2. relish, enjoyment

   मुझे गाने का मज़ा नहीं आया।

   mujhe gāne kā mazā nahī̃ āyā.

   I did not enjoy the song.

Declension

Declension of मज़ा (masc ā-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	मज़ा mazā	मज़े maze
oblique	मज़े maze	मज़ों mazõ
vocative	मज़े maze	मज़ो mazo

Derived terms

• मज़ेदार (mazedār, “fun, relishing”)

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “मज़ा”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “मज़ा”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.