What does it mean word for word?
शानदार is composed of शान, meaning glory or dignity and the suffix -दार, meaning possessing or having.
Which one should you use?
While शानदार is a standard way to say awesome or splendid, ज़बरदस्त is an alternative used in more energetic or intense contexts to mean awesome, powerful or tremendous. For a more informal feeling of 'fantastic', you can use बहुत बढ़िया. For a slang context, use मस्त.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In specific regions, you may encounter the informal terms jakkas or zabardast to express appreciation.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many Hindi adjectives, शानदार is an invariant adjective. It does not change its form based on the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as śāndār (/ʃɑːn.d̪ɑːɾ/). It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word मस्त is often used as slang for 'awesome', but its literal and traditional meaning is 'intoxicated' or 'absorbed in spiritual ecstasy'.
- While शानदार is standard, the slang term jakkas is specifically associated with the city of Mumbai and the colorful dialogue of Bollywood cinema.
- The word शानदार is actually a Persian way of saying 'splendid'. It enters Hindi through the shared history of Persian influence on Indian courtly language.
Examples in context
- यह फिल्म शानदार है।Yeh film shaandaar hai.This movie is awesome.
- आपका विचार शानदार है।Aapka vichaar shaandaar hai.Your idea is excellent.
- कल का कार्यक्रम शानदार था।Kal ka karyakram shaandaar tha.Yesterday's program was exciting.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a recent concert they attended.
- अंजलि Anjaliकल का कॉन्सर्ट वाकई शानदार था!Kal ka concert vaakai shaandaar tha!Yesterday's concert was truly awesome!
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, संगीत बहुत अच्छा था।Haan, sangeet bahut achha tha.Yes, the music was very good.
- अंजलि Anjaliक्या तुम्हें रोशनी पसंद आई?Kya tumhe roshni pasand aayi?Did you like the lights?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, वे बहुत ही शानदार थीं।Haan, ve bahut hi shaandaar thin.Yes, they were very excellent.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry शानदार, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries शानदार, CC BY-SA 4.0.
