تلسی
tulsī/t̪ʊl.siː/feminine
Basil in Urdu is تلسی (tulsī).
تلسی is the term used for basil. In South Asian contexts, the word for basil often specifically refers to Holy Basil (Tulsi), which holds significant religious importance in Hinduism.
Meaning: herb (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
تلسی is a feminine noun, so any adjectives describing it must take the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
tulsī (IPA: /t̪ʊl.siː/)
Did you know?
- Although the word is common in Urdu, it is a loanword from Sanskrit, reflecting the deep intersection of linguistic and religious history in South Asia.
- You will often find تلسی plants adorned with small lamps or incense, as the plant is treated as a living deity in some cultural contexts.
- While تلسی refers to Holy Basil, Urdu speakers use the word تولسی in some dialects and the word ریحان for the sweet basil commonly used in Italian cooking.
Examples in context
- تلسی چائے پینے سے آپ کو صحت میں فائدہ ہوسکتا ہے.Drinking tulsi tea can benefit your health.
- اس میں تلسی کی خوشبو ہے۔Is mein tulsi ki khushbu hai.It has the scent of basil.
- مجھے تلسی پسند ہے۔Mujhe tulsi pasand hai.I like basil.
- کیا آپ کے پاس تلسی ہے؟Kya aap ke paas tulsi hai?Do you have basil?
Example conversation
Hamza and Sarah are cooking in the kitchen.
- حمزہ Hamzaسارہ، کیا ہمیں اس میں تلسی ڈالنی چاہیے؟Sarah, kya hamein is mein tulsi daalni chahiye?Sarah, should we put basil in this?
- سارہ Saraہاں حمزہ، اس سے ذائقہ بہتر ہو جائے گا۔Haan Hamza, is se zaiqa behtar ho jaye ga.Yes Hamza, it will make the taste better.
- حمزہ Hamzaتلسی کہاں رکھی ہے؟Tulsi kahan rakhi hai?Where is the basil kept?
- سارہ Saraوہ فریج کے پاس رکھی ہے۔Woh fridge ke paas rakhi hai.It is kept near the fridge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basil” translations and entries تلسی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
