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.
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55,387 headwords · page 247 of 554
- नितॄ ni-tṝ-tirati, -taritum, -tarītum, Vedic to dispel, subdue, overpower, obstruct.
- नितोशन ni-tośanasprinkling, distributing, granting; (as), m. a distributer, granter.
- नित्य nityaown (Vedic); continual, perpetual, regularly repeated, constant, uninterrupted, endless…
- नित्यज् ni-tyaj-tyajati, -tyaktum, Vedic to scare or drive away.
- निद्1 nidnedati, nedate, nineda, ninide or ninede, neditā, etc., to be near; to ridicule, blame…
- निद्2 nidmocking, ridiculing, despising, censure, contempt; (t), m. one who ridicules or contemns…
- निदा1 nidāblame, contempt.
- निदान1 nidāna(= nidyamāna), reproached, ridiculed. (For 2. see 3. ni-dā, col. 3.)
- निद्यमान nidyamānabeing reproached, etc.
- निद ni-dapoison, venom.
- निदण्ड ni-daṇḍaaccording to a commentator = nihita-daṇḍa, a stick put aside or laid down; (as, ā, am)…
- निदत्त ni-dattaSee 2. ni-dā below.
- निदद्रु nida-drua man.
- निदर्शन ni-darśanaSee ni-dṛś, col. 3.
- निदह् ni-dah-dahati, -dagdhum, to burn down, consume by fire.
- निदाघ ni-dāgha(according to native lexicographers also am, n.), heat, warmth; the hot season (May and…
- निदा2 ni-dā-dadāti, etc., Vedic to give. (For 1. nidā see above.)
- निदत्त ni-dattagiven, given absolutely;
- निदा3 ni-dā-dyati, etc., Vedic to fasten.
- निदातृ ni-dātṛone who fastens or ties up; (Sāy.) a restrainer, obstructer, (as if fr. rt. 3. dā.)
- निदान2 ni-dāna(for 1. nidāna see col. 2), a band, a rope, a halter; a rope for tying up a calf etc.; a…
- निदित ni-ditapreserved, concealed; (Sāy.) completely bound or fettered (= nitarām baddha).
- निदाघ ni-dāghaSee ni-dah, col. 2.
- निदिग्ध ni-digdhasmeared, anointed, plastered; clinging to; (ā), f. small cardamoms.
- निदिग्धिका nidigdhikā= kaṇṭa-kārikā, a species of prickly nightshade, Solanum Jacquini; cardamoms.
- निदिध्यासन ni-didhyāsanaprofound and repeated meditation.
- निदिध्यासु ni-didhyāsudesiring to meditate upon.
- निदिध्येय ni-didhyeyato be deeply meditated upon.
- निदिश् ni-diś-diśati, -deṣṭum, to order, point out, etc.;
- निदिष्ट ni-diṣṭaordered, directed; advised, enjoined; explained, pointed out.
- निदेश ni-deśaorder, command, direction, instruction; speech, speaking, narration, conversation…
- निदेशिन् ni-deśinshowing, directing, ordering, pointing out; (inī), f. a region, quarter, point of the…
- निदेश्य ni-deśyato be ordered, to be told.
- निदेष्टृ ni-deṣṭṛwho or what points out or orders; explaining, advising, commanding.
- निदी ni-dīto shine down upon; (Sāy. = nitarām pra-kāś, to shine exceedingly.)
- निदुश niduśaa fish.
- निदृश् ni-dṛś-darśayati, -yitum, to cause to see, to show, point, to point out; to introduce, cause to…
- निदर्शक ni-darśakaseeing into, perceiving; seeing; pointing out, proclaiming, announcing.
- निदर्शन ni-darśanapointing to, showing, foreshowing, prognosticating, indicating; proclaiming, announcing…
- निदर्शित ni-darśitaillustrated, exemplified.
- निदर्शिन् ni-darśinseeing, viewing, having an insight into, familiar with, knowing.
- निदेश ni-deśaSee ni-diś, p. 486, col. 3.
- निद्रा1 ni-drāor ni-drai, cl. 1. 2. P. A. -drāyati, -te, -drāti, etc., to fall asleep, sleep.
- निद्रा2 ni-drāsleep, slumber, sleepiness, sloth; (in flowers the budding state is considered as sleep…
- निद्राण ni-drāṇasleeping, asleep, sleepy, drowsy; shut up, closed (as a bud or blossom).
- निद्रात् ni-drātor āntī, āt, sleeping.
- निद्रायमाण ni-drāyamāṇasleeping, asleep.
- निद्रालु ni-drālusleeping, sleepy, drowsy, slothful; (us), m. an epithet of Viṣṇu; (us), f. the plant…
- निद्रित nidritasleeping, asleep.
- निधन ni-dhana(in some senses apparently fr. 1. ni-dhā below, but in others more probably fr. dhan =…
- निधा1 ni-dhā-dadhāti, -dhatte, -dhātum, to put down, lay down, put or lay into, fix in, deposit…
- निधा2 ni-dhālaying snares; a net; a collection of snares, a snare.
- निधातव्य ni-dhātavyato be put down or deposited; to be delivered; to be directed towards; to be concealed.
- निधातृ ni-dhātṛa depositor, one who deposits, keeps, conceals, etc.
- निधान ni-dhānaputting down, laying down, depositing, (daṇḍa-nidhāna, putting down or laying aside the…
- निधान्य ni-dhānyafit for being laid or put down.
- निधापक ni-dhāpakaone who causes to be put down or deposited; a weapon (?); burnt timber (?), charcoal (?)…
- निधाप्य ni-dhāpyahaving caused to be placed or fixed in, having installed or appointed.
- निधाय ni-dhāyahaving fixed or placed in or on, (manasi nidhāya, fixing or laying up in the mind…
- निधि ni-dhisetting down or serving up food etc. (Vedic); the lower part or bottom of the Ukhā…
- निधीयमान ni-dhīyamānabeing laid down or deposited, etc.
- निधेय ni-dheyato be placed in or on, to be deposited.
- निहित ni-hitaput down, deposited, etc. See s.v.
- निधि ni-dhiSee above.
- निधू ni-dhū-dhūnoti, -dhūnute (in the later language also -dhunoti, -dhunute), -dhuvati, -dhotum…
- निधुवन ni-dhuvanashaking about, agitation, trembling; coition, sexual intercourse; pleasure, enjoyment…
- निधृ ni-dhṛ-dhārayati, -yitum (Vedic -dīdhar), to place down or in, deposit in; determine…
- निधारय ni-dhārayaplacing in or on, depositing.
- निधारयत् ni-dhārayat(Sāy.) abiding in.
- निधृति ni-dhṛtiname of a prince, a son of Vṛṣṇi;
- निध्यै ni-dhyai-dhyāyati, -dhyātum, to observe, perceive (Vedic); to meditate on, be absorbed in…
- निदिध्यासन ni-didhyāsanaprofound meditation, deep and repeated consideration, thinking of or recalling repeatedly.
- निदिध्यासितव्य ni-didhyāsitavyato be reflected or meditated upon.
- निदिध्यासु ni-didhyāsudesirous of meditating on.
- निध्यात ni-dhyātameditated on, thought on, imagined.
- निध्यान ni-dhyānaintuition, looking at, seeing, beholding, sight.
- निध्रुव ni-dhruvaname of a man; (ās), m. pl. his descendants;
- निध्रुवि ni-dhruviconstant, persevering, faithful; (is), m., name of a Kāśyapa and author of a Ṛg-veda hymn…
- निध्वान ni-dhvānasound.
- निनङ्क्षु ninaṅkṣuwishing or expecting to perish or die.
- निनद् ni-nad-nadati, etc., to sound, make a sound, cry out; to resound: Caus. P. -nādayati, -yitum…
- निनद ni-nadaor ni-nāda, as, m. sound, noise, cry, buzzing, humming, crying.
- निनादित ni-nāditamade to sound, filled with noise or cries; (am), n. a sound.
- निनादिन् ni-nādinsounding, resounding, ringing, crying; causing to sound, playing (as a musical…
- निनयन ni-nayanaSee ni-nī below.
- निनर्तशत्रु ninarta-śatruname of a son of An-ādhṛṣṭi.
- निनर्द् ni-nard-nardati, -narditum, to sound; prolong a note in chanting;
- निनर्द ni-nardaprolonging a note in chanting, trilling.
- निनर्दत् ni-nardatsounding; prolonging a cadence.
- निनह् ni-nah-nahyati, -te, -naddhum, Vedic to fasten, tie;
- निनद्ध ni-naddhafastened, tied fast.
- निनाह्य ni-nāhyaa water-jar; (according to the commentaries) a water-jar put into the ground.
- निनित्सु ninitsuwishing to censure or blame.
- निनी ni-nī-nayati, -te, -netum, to lead to, carry or bring towards, bring near, bring, fetch; to…
- निनयन ni-nayanacarrying out, performing, accomplishing; performance; pouring down.
- निनीषा ninīṣāwishing to bring, desire or intention of carrying or taking or leading away.
- निनीषु ninīṣudesirous to take or lead, wishing to bring; wishing to spend (as time).
- निनृत्त ni-nṛttarepeated (as a portion of a verse or syllable; lit. danced again).
- निनृत्ति ni-nṛttirepetition.
- निन्द् nind(sometimes written nid, q.v.), cl. 1. P. nindati (rarely A. -te), nininda, nindiṣyati…
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).