hum
/hʌm/verb
उच्चारण हम
गुनगुनाना
Core word
- 1
[I/T]
to sing a tune with your lips closed
गुनगुनाना
- She hummed a song while cooking.
- He was humming to himself.
- The old man hummed a tune from a film while watering the plants.
+ 2 more examples
- Aarav hummed quietly as he worked on his sums.
- Do you know the song? Try to hum a few bars of it.
- 2
[I]
to make a low continuous sound
भिनभिनाना, गूँजना, घरघराना
- Bees hummed among the flowers.
- The fridge was humming in the corner.
- The engine hummed smoothly as the train left the station.
+ 2 more examples
- Mosquitoes hummed around my ears all night.
- The computer hums softly when it is switched on.
- 3
[I] ~ (with sth)
to be full of activity
चहल-पहल से भरा होना, गुलज़ार होना
- The market was humming with activity before Diwali.
- The railway station hums with activity before the festival season.
- The whole office was humming with excitement before the launch.
+ 2 more examples
- The town hums with life during the Ganesh festival.
- The stadium hummed with anticipation before the final.
- 1
[singular]
a low continuous sound
भिनभिनाहट, गुंजन, घरघराहट
- the hum of traffic
- the hum of voices in the next room
- I could hear the hum of the air conditioner in the next room.
+ 2 more examples
- The hum of bees filled the garden.
- There was a steady hum of conversation in the library.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
hum (a tune)
As a transitive or intransitive verb it means to sing a tune with your lips closed, without words. It is often used while working or when happy.
Transitive या intransitive क्रिया के रूप में इसका अर्थ है होंठ बंद करके बिना शब्दों के धुन गुनगुनाना। यह प्रायः काम करते समय या खुशी में होता है।
- Radhika hummed a film song while she washed the dishes.
- He was humming to himself as he walked to school.
hum along (with sth)
Hum along means to hum the tune that someone else is playing or singing.
किसी और के बजाए या गाए जा रहे गीत के साथ गुनगुनाने के लिए 'hum along' आता है।
- The whole bus hummed along with the old song on the radio.
- Everyone started to hum along when the band played the national anthem tune.
hum with sth (be full of activity)
A place can hum with activity, excitement or talk; with introduces what fills the place.
कोई जगह गतिविधि, उत्साह या बातचीत से भरी हो, तो 'hum with' आता है; 'with' के बाद वह चीज़ आती है जिससे जगह भरी है।
- The market hummed with shoppers before Diwali.
- The hall was humming with excitement before the results.
the hum of sth
As a noun, hum is a low continuous sound, and of names its source.
Noun के रूप में 'hum' धीमी लगातार आवाज़ है, और 'of' उसके स्रोत को बताता है।
- I could hear the hum of the ceiling fan all night.
- The hum of distant traffic soon put him to sleep.
+Collocations 4
hum + object
a tunea songa lullabythe melodythe anthem
- The grandmother hummed a lullaby until the baby slept.
adverb + hum
softlyquietlytunelesslyabsent-mindedlyhappily
- He hummed tunelessly as he copied the notes.
noun + hum
enginefanrefrigeratormosquitoinsect
- The hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in the kitchen at night.
adjective + hum
lowsteadyconstantfaintelectric
- A low hum came from the transformer near the school.
“More examples 5
- The bees hummed around the mango blossoms.
मधुमक्खियाँ आम के बौर के चारों ओर भिनभिना रही थीं।
- Whenever Radhika is nervous before an exam, she hums quietly.
परीक्षा से पहले घबराने पर राधिका धीमे-धीमे गुनगुनाती है।
- The computer room hummed with the sound of air conditioners.
कंप्यूटर कक्ष air conditioners की आवाज़ से गूँज रहा था।
- Even after the festival, the town was still humming with life.
त्योहार के बाद भी शहर जीवन की चहल-पहल से भरा हुआ था।
- I cannot remember the words, but I can hum the tune.
मुझे शब्द याद नहीं हैं, पर मैं धुन गुनगुना सकता हूँ।
!Common mistakes 2
✗ She hummed with a song while cooking.
✓ She hummed a song while cooking.
Hum takes the tune as a direct object; no preposition is needed.
'Hum' के बाद धुन सीधे object के रूप में आती है; preposition की आवश्यकता नहीं।
✗ The streets were humming from activity.
✓ The streets were humming with activity.
Use with after hum to show what fills a place.
जगह किससे भरी है यह बताने के लिए 'hum' के बाद 'with' आता है, 'from' नहीं।
≠Thesaurus: which synonym when
These verbs all make a sound with the voice or in the air, but they differ in manner.
ये सभी क्रियाएँ आवाज़ या ध्वनि से जुड़ी हैं, पर उनकी शैली अलग है।
To sing a tune with closed lips, or to make a low continuous sound.
बंद होंठों से धुन गाना, या धीमी लगातार आवाज़ करना।
- She hummed as she worked.
A sharper, higher sound, like an insect or a phone.
कीट या फ़ोन जैसी तेज़ और ऊँची आवाज़।
- A mosquito buzzed near my ear.
To speak quietly and softly, with words that are hard to hear.
धीमे और कोमल स्वर में ऐसे शब्द बोलना जो मुश्किल से सुनाई दें।
- He murmured a prayer.
¶Idioms 1
hum and haw
(British, informal) to take a long time to make a decision or before you say something
आगा-पीछा करना, हिचकिचाना, टालमटोल करना
- He hummed and hawed for a week before accepting the offer.
- Stop humming and hawing and give me an answer.