हमला
hamlā/ɦəm.lɑː/masculine
The word for attack in Hindi is हमला (hamlā). Other words are आक्रमण (ākramaṇ), प्रहार (prahār) and धावा (dhāvā). If unsure, use हमला.
Meaning: attempt to cause damage, injury, or death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| हमला | hamlā | /ɦəm.lɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| आक्रमण | ākramaṇ | /ɑːk.ɾə.məɳ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| प्रहार | prahār | /pɾə.ɦɑːɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| धावा | dhāvā | /d̪ʱɑː.ʋɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
हमला is an attempt to cause damage, injury or death. It is the most common and versatile word, used in everyday speech and in the news.
Which one should you use?
आक्रमण is more formal and often means a military invasion or a large organized attack. प्रहार is a physical strike or blow, a sudden forceful hit. धावा is a sudden raid or swift strike, such as a police raid or a cavalry charge.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
All four words are masculine nouns. To make the verb to attack, add करना, giving हमला करना. In the same way आक्रमण करना means to attack.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as hamlā. The IPA is /ɦəm.lɑː/, two syllables.
Did you know?
- In Hindi, the word for a physical blow or strike, प्रहार, is also used metaphorically in literature to describe a sharp verbal critique or a 'strike' against an injustice.
- Even though many of these words come from ancient Sanskrit, हमला is a linguistic traveler that entered Hindi via Classical Persian and Arabic, showing the diverse historical layers of the language.
- While हमला is the most common word for an attack, it shares its Persian roots with the word for a 'campaign' or 'expedition', suggesting a sense of organized movement rather than just a single strike.
Examples in context
- नेता पर हमले की निंदा की गई।The attack on the politician was condemned.Here हमले is the form the word takes before a postposition.
- गाँववाले आक्रमण से सुरक्षित थे।The villagers were safe from attack.Here आक्रमण is the attack the villagers were safe from.
- सेना ने क़िले पर आक्रमण करके उसे जीत लिया।The army launched an attack on the fort and conquered it.Here आक्रमण करके means by attacking, describing the army taking the fort.
- सेना ने दुश्मन के आक्रमण का जवाब दिया।The army responded to the enemy's attack.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a news report about a crime.
- नेहा Nehaक्या तुमने उस हमले के बारे में सुना?Kya tumne us hamle ke baare mein suna?Did you hear about that attack?
- राहुल Rahulहाँ, वह बहुत भयानक हमला था।Haan, vah bahut bhayanak hamla tha.Yes, it was a very terrible attack.
- नेहा Nehaराहुल, क्या पुलिस को कोई सुराग मिला?Rahul, kya police ko koi suraag mila?Rahul, did the police find any clues?
- राहुल Rahulअभी तक कुछ भी नहीं पता है।Abhi tak kuch bhi nahi pata hai.Nothing is known yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “attack” translations and entries हमला, आक्रमण, प्रहार, धावा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आक्रमण, धावा, प्रहार, हमला, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
