Pronunciation guide: Devanagari, IAST and endings
Vowels
| अ | a | a in “about” |
| आ | ā | a in “father” (long) |
| इ | i | i in “sit” |
| ई | ī | ee in “see” (long) |
| उ | u | u in “put” |
| ऊ | ū | oo in “food” (long) |
| ऋ | ṛ | vowel r, like “ri” in “rich” (short) |
| ॠ | ṝ | the same, held longer |
| ऌ | ḷ | vowel l, like “le” in “table” |
| ए | e | ay in “day” (always long) |
| ऐ | ai | ai in “aisle” |
| ओ | o | o in “go” (always long) |
| औ | au | ow in “now” |
Vowel signs (mātrās) after a consonant: का kā · कि ki · की kī · कु ku · कू kū · कृ kṛ · के ke · कै kai · को ko · कौ kau. A consonant with no sign has a built-in short a (क = ka).
Consonants
Throat (velar)
| क | k | k in “skin” |
| ख | kh | k with a puff, “blockhead” |
| ग | g | g in “go” |
| घ | gh | gh in “doghouse” |
| ङ | ṅ | ng in “sing” |
Palate
| च | c | ch in “church” |
| छ | ch | ch with a puff, “staunch heart” |
| ज | j | j in “jam” |
| झ | jh | dgeh in “hedgehog” |
| ञ | ñ | ny in “canyon” |
Tongue curled back (retroflex)
| ट | ṭ | t with the tongue tip curled back |
| ठ | ṭh | the same with a puff |
| ड | ḍ | d, tongue curled back |
| ढ | ḍh | the same with a puff |
| ण | ṇ | n, tongue curled back |
Teeth (dental)
| त | t | t with the tongue on the teeth (French t) |
| थ | th | t with a puff, “at home” (never “thin”) |
| द | d | d on the teeth |
| ध | dh | dh in “adhere” |
| न | n | n in “nut” |
Lips
| प | p | p in “spin” |
| फ | ph | p with a puff, “uphill” (never “f”) |
| ब | b | b in “bat” |
| भ | bh | bh in “abhor” |
| म | m | m in “mat” |
Others
| य | y | y in “yes” |
| र | r | a light tapped r |
| ल | l | l in “love” |
| व | v | between v and w |
| श | ś | sh in “shine” |
| ष | ṣ | sh with the tongue curled back |
| स | s | s in “sun” |
| ह | h | h in “hand” |
An h after a consonant (kh, gh, th, dh, ph, bh…) means a puff of breath; it is never the English “th”, “ph” or “sh” sound.
Special signs
| कं | ṃ | anusvāra: a nasal hum, sounding like the nasal of the next consonant (saṃskṛta) |
| कः | ḥ | visarga: a soft breath echoing the vowel before it (devaḥ ≈ “deva-ha”) |
| क् | — | virāma: removes the built-in a (क ka → क् k) |
| कँ | m̐ | candrabindu: the vowel is said through the nose |
| कऽ | ’ | avagraha: an a dropped after e or o (so ’ham = so aham) |
What the marks in IAST mean
- Line on top (ā ī ū ṝ): a long vowel, held about twice as long.
- Dot under r, l (ṛ ṝ ḷ): r or l used as a vowel.
- Dot under t, d, n, s (ṭ ḍ ṇ ṣ): tongue tip curled back (retroflex).
- ṃ: anusvāra (nasal hum) · ḥ: visarga (echoing breath).
- ṅ: ng as in “sing” · ñ: ny as in “canyon” · ś: sh as in “shine”.
Long and short syllables, and stress
A syllable is heavy if its vowel is long (ā ī ū ṝ e ai o au), or it is followed by two consonants, or it ends in ṃ or ḥ; otherwise it is light. Usual modern stress (as in Latin): stress the second-last syllable if it is heavy (saṃ·skṛ·ta: skṛ is light, so the stress falls on the heavy saṃ; ma·hā·bhā·ra·ta; rā·mā·ya·ṇa); if not, go back to the third-last, then the fourth-last. Old Vedic pitch accents are not shown.
Common endings (inflections)
Nouns: deva (masculine, “god”)
| devaḥ | the god (subject) | devāḥ | the gods |
| devam | the god (object) | devān | the gods (object) |
| devena | by / with the god | devaiḥ | by the gods |
| devāya | to / for the god | devebhyaḥ | to / for the gods |
| devāt | from the god | devebhyaḥ | from the gods |
| devasya | of the god | devānām | of the gods |
| deve | in / on the god | deveṣu | in the gods |
| he deva | O god! | he devāḥ | O gods! |
Verbs: bhū “to be, become”, present tense
| bhavati | he / she / it is | bhavanti | they are |
| bhavasi | you are (one person) | bhavatha | you are (several) |
| bhavāmi | I am | bhavāmaḥ | we are |
Dictionary headwords are stems (deva, bhū); in texts the words carry these endings, and sounds join across word boundaries (sandhi).
Sanskrit Dictionary
Dictionary scope: अ a, आ ā, ब b, भ bh, इ i, ई ī, उ u, ऊ ū, ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ, ऌ ḷ, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au, क k, ख kh, ग g, घ gh, ङ ṅ, च c, छ ch, ज j, झ jh, ञ ñ, ट ṭ, ठ ṭh, ड ḍ, ढ ḍh, ण ṇ, त t, थ th, द d, ध dh, न n, प p, फ ph, म m, य y, र r, ल l, व v, श ś, ष ṣ, स s and ह h · 114,538 entries
Every headword in Monier Williams’ Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872), in Sanskrit alphabetical order. Jump by letter above, use the page tabs, or keep scrolling — more words load as you go.
Search in IAST (ātman), plain letters (atman), Devanagari (आत्मन्) or English (fire). Pronunciation key · English index · Random entry
Jump to letter
All words A–Z
55,387 headwords · page 186 of 554
- चेतव्य cetavyato be collected or gathered, to be piled up.
- चेय ceyato be piled up, to be gathered or collected.
- चि2 ciciketi, Impf. aciket, Impv. 2nd sing. cikīhi, cikāya; cl. 5. P. A. cinoti, cinute etc…
- चित्2 citobserving, knowing (in ṛta-cit).
- चिन्वत्2 cinvatseeking for, searching for.
- चेतृ1 cetṛan observer, guardian.
- चि3 cicayate, to detest, hate; to revenge, punish, take vengeance on.
- चय2 cayarevenging, punishing.
- चित्3 citpunishing (in ṛṇa-cit).
- चेतृ2 cetṛa revenger.
- चेत्या cetyārevenge, punishment.
- चि4 cicāyati, -te, to fear, be afraid of (with acc.); to respect, honour; to observe;
- चिकरिषु cikariṣudesirous to cast or throw, wishing to pour out.
- चिकर्तिषु cikartiṣudesirous or intending to cut or cut off.
- चिकित् cikitetc. See p. 323, col. 1.
- चिकिन cikinaflat-nosed; (am), n. flat-nosedness;
- चिकिल cikilamud, mire, a slough, a bog;
- चिकीर्षक cikīrṣakadesirous of doing, meaning to do.
- चिकीर्षत् cikīrṣatwishing or purposing to act or do.
- चिकीर्षा cikīrṣāintention or desire to act, wish, will, design, purpose, desire of doing or performing…
- चिकीर्षित cikīrṣitaintended to be done; wished, designed, purposed; (am), n. purpose, design, intention.
- चिकीर्षु cikīrṣuwishing to act, desiring or intending to do or make or perform anything; wishing to…
- चिकीर्ष्य cikīrṣyato be wished to be done, to be designed.
- चिकुर cikurainconsiderate, rash, punishing or injuring others without consideration; (as), m. the…
- चिकूर cikūrathe hair, = cikura.
- चिक्क् cikkcikkayati, -yitum, to feel pain; to give or inflict pain;
- चिक्क cikkaflat-nosed; (am), n. flat-nosedness; (as), m. the musk-rat;; (ā), f. a mouse; a betel-nut;
- चिक्कण cikkaṇasmooth, glossy; slippery; bland, emollient; unctuous, greasy; (as), m. the betel-nut…
- चिक्कस cikkasabarley-meal.
- चिक्किण cikkiṇaglossy, shining, smooth; slippery; bland, emollient; unctuous, greasy; (ā), f. an…
- चिक्किर cikkiraa small venomous animal (mūṣika);
- चिक्रंसा cikraṃsāa wish to go, desire of approaching.
- चिक्रीडिषा cikrīḍiṣāa wish or desire to play.
- चिक्लिद ciklidathe moon; (am), n. moisture, freshness;
- चिखल्ल cikhallamud, mire, a slough;
- चिखादिषु cikhādiṣuwishing or desiring to eat.
- चिङ्गट ciṅgaṭaor ciṅgaḍa, as, m. a shrimp or prawn;
- चिचिण्ड ciciṇḍaa sort of gourd, Trichosanthes Anguina.
- चिचीकुची cicīkucīand cicīkūcī. See cīcīkūcī.
- चिचीषत् cicīṣatSee under 1. ci, col. 1.
- चिच्चिटिङ्ग cicciṭiṅgaa species of venomous insect;
- चिच्छित्सु cicchitsuwishing or intending to cut off.
- चिच्छिल cicchilaname of a people.
- चिच्छुक cic-chukaSee under 5. cit.
- चिञ्चा ciñcāthe tamarind tree or its fruit.
- चिञ्चाटक ciñcāṭakaa various reading for ciñcoṭaka.
- चिञ्चिनी ciñcinīname of a town.
- चिञ्ची ciñcīthe plant Abrus Precatorius;
- चिञ्चोटक ciñcoṭakaa kind of plant, = aṅkaloḍya or krauñcādana.
- चिट् ciṭ10. P. ceṭati and ceṭa-yati, etc., to send out or forth (as a messenger), to give orders…
- चेट ceṭaa servant, etc. See s.v.
- चित्1 cit2. 3. cit. See under rt. 1. 2. 3. ci.
- चित्4 citcetati, ciketti, ciceta or ciketa, cikite or cekite or cicite (Vedic 3rd pl. cikitre or…
- चिकित् cikitunderstanding, knowing, experienced.
- चिकित cikitaname of a man;
- चिकितान cikitānaname of a man;
- चिकितायन cikitāyanaa descendant of Cikita;
- चिकिति cikitiknowing, acquainted with, experienced.
- चिकितु cikituunderstanding, knowing, experienced; (us), f. understanding, intellect.
- चिकित्वन् cikitvanunderstanding, intellect.
- चिकित्वस् cikitvasone who has observed, observing, attending to, attentive, knowing, understanding…
- चिकित्वित् cikitvitwith intelligence, intelligently; with deliberation, deliberately; (Sāy.) making known (=…
- चिकित्सक cikitsakaa physician, doctor, practiser in medicine.
- चिकित्सन cikitsanahealing, practising medicine, medical attendance.
- चिकित्सा cikitsāthe practice or science of medicine, healing, curing, administering or applying remedies…
- चिकित्सित cikitsitatreated medically, remedied, healed, physicked, cured; (am), n. healing, remedying…
- चिकित्सु cikitsuwise, cunning.
- चिकित्स्य cikitsyato be treated medically, to be cured, curable.
- चित्5 citthought, intelligence, intellect, understanding, mind; the soul, heart.
- चिति2 citiunderstanding; (is), m. the thinking mind.
- चित्त cittaperceived, observed, considered; reflected upon; resolved; intended, aimed at…
- चित्ति1 cittithinking, thought, reflection; understanding, wisdom; thoughts, devotion (in pl.)…
- चित्तिन् cittinintelligent, wise.
- चित्तीकृ cittī-kṛ-karoti, -kurute, -kartum, to make anything an object of thought or reflection.
- चित्तीकृत cittī-kṛtafixed in the mind.
- चित्र citraperceptible, visible, conspicuous, excellent, distinguished; bright, clear…
- चित्रक citrakaa painter; a tiger, a panther, the Chīta or small hunting leopard; a kind of snake; the…
- चित्रय citrayacitrayati, to make variegated, paint with various colours, decorate; to regard as a…
- चित्रल citralavariegated, spotted; (as), m. a variegated colour; (ā), f., name of a plant, = go-rakṣī.
- चित्रिक citrika= caitrika, the month Caitra or Cheyt (March-April).
- चित्रित citritavariegated, spotted, striped; painted.
- चित्रिन् citrincontaining wonders, wonderful; variegated; having variegated (black and grey) hair…
- चित्रिय4 citriyavariegated (?), epithet of a species of Aśvattha; (as), m., name of a man.
- चित्रीकरण citrī-karaṇacitrī-kāra, as, m. wondering, wonder, surprise.
- चित्रीकृ citrī-kṛ-karoti, -kurute, -kartum, to feel wonder; to make a picture, change into a picture…
- चित्रीकृत citrī-kṛtapainted, variegated, embellished.
- चित्रीय citrīyacitrīyate, -yitum, to wonder, be surprised; to become a wonder to any one (with…
- चित्रीयमाण citrīyamāṇabecoming a wonder, causing wonder or astonishment.
- चित्र्य citryabrilliant; (Sāy.) to be honoured, to be thought highly of.
- चेकित cekitaname of a prince.
- चेकितान cekitāna‘the intelligent one,’ an epithet of Śiva; name of a prince and ally of the Pāṇḍus.
- चेतक cetakacausing to think, reminding; what thinks or feels, sentient; (ī), f. the yellow…
- चेतन cetanavisible, conspicuous, distinguished, excellent; percipient, observing, conscious…
- चेतनकी cetanakī= cetakī.
- चेतनीया cetanīyāa kind of medicinal herb, = ṛddhi.
- चेतय cetayaobserving, conscious, sentient, living.
- चेतयमान cetayamānasentient, reflecting, conscious.
- चेतयान cetayānaunderstanding, having sense, sensible, conscious, sentient.
- चेतयितव्य cetayitavyato be observed or thought.
- चेतयितृ cetayitṛobserving, perceiving, sentient.
Source and licence. Monier Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Etymologically and Philologically Arranged (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1872; first edition). Digital text: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries (MW72, csl-orig/v02/mw72), © Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon project contributors, Cologne University, accessed 7 October 2026, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, provided without warranty.
Changes made here: entries for अ a, आ ā, ब b, भ bh, इ i, ई ī, उ u, ऊ ū, ऋ ṛ, ॠ ṝ, ऌ ḷ, ए e, ऐ ai, ओ o, औ au, क k, ख kh, ग g, घ gh, ङ ṅ, च c, छ ch, ज j, झ jh, ञ ñ, ट ṭ, ठ ṭh, ड ḍ, ढ ḍh, ण ṇ, त t, थ th, द d, ध dh, न n, प p, फ ph, म m, य y, र r, ल l, व v, श ś, ष ṣ, स s and ह h only; meanings trimmed for length and MW abbreviations expanded; Devanagari generated from the SLP1 keys with indic_transliteration; spelling notes, IPA pronunciations and labelled (“inferred”/“not given”) etymologies added. This adapted dictionary text is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Fonts: Noto Serif and Noto Serif Devanagari (SIL Open Font License).