गाली
gālī/ɡɑː.liː/
The Hindi word for 'bad word' is गाली (gālī).
गाली is a noun referring to a vulgar word. To describe the action of swearing or using such words, you use the verb phrase गाली देना. If you are the person receiving the insult or hearing the bad words, the phrase गाली सुनना is used to describe that experience.
Meaning: vulgar word (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of गाली is गालियाँ (gāliyā̃), which refers to multiple bad words or insults.
How do you pronounce it?
gālī is pronounced /ɡɑː.liː/.
Did you know?
- While गाली means 'bad word', it is often used in Hindi cinema and street slang to describe an entire genre of aggressive banter used to establish dominance or friendship.
- In many parts of India, a person who frequently uses गाली is often described as having a 'dirty mouth', a concept tied to the idea of physical and verbal purity.
- The root of गाली likely traces back to the Sanskrit root 'garh', which means to censure or criticize. This suggests the word's ancient origins are rooted in the formal act of expressing disapproval.
Examples in context
- गाली देना अच्छी बात नहीं है।Gaali dena acchi baat nahi hai.Using bad words is not a good thing.
- कृपया कोई गाली मत दो।Kripya koi gaali mat do.Please do not say any bad words.
Example conversation
Aditya and Anjali are talking about a movie they watched.
- आदित्य Adityaइस फिल्म में बहुत गाली है।Is film mein bahut gaali hai.There are many bad words in this movie.
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, यह बहुत खराब है।Haan, yeh bahut kharab hai.Yes, it is very bad.
- आदित्य Adityaबच्चों को यह नहीं देखना चाहिए।Bachon ko yeh nahi dekhna chahiye.Children should not watch this.
- अंजलि Anjaliमैं तुम्हारी बात से सहमत हूँ।Main tumhari baat se sahmat hoon.I agree with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry गाली, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries गाली, CC BY-SA 4.0.
