जानवर
jānvar/d͡ʒɑːn.ʋəɾ/
The English phrase 'animals' is translated to Hindi as जानवर (jānvar).
The word जानवर is used to refer to animals.
Which one should you use?
While जानवर is the common word for animals, पशु is a more formal or scientific term used in literature and textbooks.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word जानवर is used for both singular and plural forms of 'animal' in Hindi. However, the form जानवरों is used instead of जानवर when the word is followed by a postposition like 'को' (to), 'के' (of) or 'में' (in).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is [jānvar]. The word has 2 syllables and is transcribed in IPA as /dʒɑːn.ʋəɾ/.
Did you know?
- The word जानवर comes from the Persian words जान meaning 'life' or 'soul' and वर meaning 'possessor'. Literally, an animal is defined as a 'possessor of life'.
- In many Indian languages, including Hindi, calling a person a जानवर is a common insult. It implies the person is acting without reason or lacks human civility.
- The word जान inside जानवर is also the common term of endearment used for loved ones, similar to calling someone 'my life' or 'darling'.
Examples in context
- जंगल के जानवर मर गए।The animals in the forest died off.This sentence is useful for seeing जानवर used in the context of a forest.Tatoeba #484023 by minshirui, translation #46069 by U2FS
- उसे जानवर अच्छे लगते हैं।He likes animals.This sentence shows how to express a liking for जानवर.Tatoeba #3624083 by sabretou, translation #2805893 by CK
- म्युज़ियम में ज़िन्दा जानवर नहीं हैं।There are no live animals in the museum.This sentence uses जानवर to refer to animals within a museum.Tatoeba #455583 by minshirui, translation #282549 by Eldad
- गिद्ध एक जानवर है।The vulture is an animal.
- भारत में कई प्रकार के जानवर पाए जाते हैं।Various types of animals are found in India.
- पालतू पशु हमारे परिवार का हिस्सा होते हैं।Domestic animals are a part of our family.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Vikas and Anjali are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- विकास Vikasक्या ये जानवर जंगली हैं?Kya ye jaanvar jungli hain?Are these animals wild?
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, ये सब जंगली जानवर हैं।Haan, ye sab jungli jaanvar hain.Yes, these are all wild animals.
- विकास Vikasउन जानवरों को देखो!Un jaanvaron ko dekho!Look at those animals!
- अंजलि Anjaliवह बहुत सुंदर जानवर है।Vah bahut sundar jaanvar hai.That is a very beautiful animal.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry जानवर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries जानवर, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
