Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| पीठ | pīṭh | /piːʈʰ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| पुश्त | puśt | feminine |
When you are referring to the anatomical part of the body, use the words for 'back'. If you mean 'back' in terms of returning to a previous place or state, such as in the phrase 'come back' (वापस आओ), use वापस. If you are referring to a spatial position or movement, such as 'behind' or 'backwards', use पीछे. For a phonetic term meaning 'produced in the back of the mouth', the adjective पश्व is used.
Which one should you use?
पीठ is the standard word for the anatomical back. In contrast, पुश्त is a more formal or literary term often used in poetry or Urdu-influenced contexts. To avoid confusion with the body part, note that पीछे is used to indicate spatial position (behind/at the back) or movement (backwards), while वापस is used to mean 'back' in the sense of returning to a place or state.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun पीठ is grammatically masculine, so adjectives describing it must take the masculine form. The noun पुश्त is grammatically feminine, so adjectives describing it must take the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
pīṭh
Did you know?
- The word पीठ can also be used as a noun meaning 'seat' or 'throne' in certain formal contexts, originating from its Sanskrit roots.
- In Hindi, the expression 'to turn one's back' using पीठ can imply a deep betrayal or a total abandonment of a friend.
- Although पीठ and पुश्त both mean 'back', they are doublets, meaning they entered Hindi from different paths but actually share the same ancient root.
Examples in context
- अपनी पीठ सीधी करो!Straighten your back!This sentence is useful for practicing an imperative command involving पीठ.Tatoeba #642493 by minshirui, translation #642494 by minshirui
- मुझे पीठ की तकलीफ है II have back problems.This sentence is useful for describing medical issues related to the पीठ.Tatoeba #3539261 by nurendra, translation #1887359 by CK
- मेरी पीठ में थोड़ा दर्द हो रहा है।I've got a bit of an ache in my back.This sentence is useful for expressing physical discomfort in the पीठ.Tatoeba #476380 by minshirui, translation #259910 by CK
- आपका पिछला भुगतान सफलतापूर्वक हुआ है।Your previous payment was successful.
- वापस आने के लिए तैयार रहो।Get ready to come back.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
अंजलि अपनी पीठ के दर्द के बारे में अमित को बता रही है।
- अमित Amitक्या हुआ, अंजलि?Kya hua, Anjali?What happened, Anjali?
- अंजलि Anjaliमेरी पीठ में बहुत दर्द है।Meri peeth mein bahut dard hai.My back hurts a lot.
- अमित Amitक्या तुमने अपनी पीठ पर मालिश करवाई?Kya tumne apni peeth par maalish karwayi?Did you get your back massaged?
- अंजलि Anjaliनहीं, अभी तक नहीं।Nahi, abhi tak nahi.No, not yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “back” translations and entries पीठ, पुश्त, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries पीठ, पुश्त, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
