मुझे डर है।

to be

Breakdown of मुझे डर है।

• मुझे: me
• डर: fear

Questions & Answers about मुझे डर है।

What does मुझे डर है mean literally, word by word?

Literally, it is:

• मुझे = to me
• डर = fear
• है = is

So the literal structure is To me, fear is.

English usually says I am afraid, but Hindi often expresses feelings and states in this to me + noun + is pattern.

Why is it मुझे and not मैं?

Because Hindi does not use the same structure as English here.

In English, you say I am afraid, with I as the subject.

In Hindi, many feelings, sensations, and states are expressed with मुझे/to me instead. This is very common with things like:

• मुझे भूख है = I am hungry
• मुझे प्यास है = I am thirsty
• मुझे डर है = I am afraid

So मैं would not fit naturally in this exact sentence.

Can I also say मुझको डर है?

Yes. मुझे and मुझको are often interchangeable here.

So both are possible:

• मुझे डर है
• मुझको डर है

But मुझे डर है is more common and more natural in everyday speech.

Is डर a noun or a verb here?