कृष्ण
kṛṣṇa/kr̩ʂ.ɳɐ́/
The English word "black" is translated into Sanskrit as कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) or काला.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| कृष्ण | kṛṣṇa | /kr̩ʂ.ɳɐ́/ (Vedic) /kŕ̩ʂ.ɳɐ/ (Vedic) |
| काला | kālā | /kɑː.lɑː/ (Vedic) /kɑː.l̪ɑː/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
The term refers to the color black, describing something that absorbs all light. The form कृष्ण is frequently used as a proper name, most notably referring to the Hindu deity Krishna.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean black, कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) is the more classical/literary term, whereas काला (kālā) is more common in later Prakrit-influenced or vernacular contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the masculine nominative singular, the form becomes कृष्णः. For the feminine accusative singular, the form is कृष्णाम्. The neuter nominative/accusative singular is written as कृष्णम्.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kṛṣṇa, consisting of 2 syllables. The IPA is /kr̩ʂ.ɳɐ́/.
Did you know?
- In Indian art and iconography, the deity कृष्ण is often depicted with blue skin, even though his name literally translates to 'black' or 'dark'.
- The word कृष्ण shares a common ancestor with the Lithuanian word 'kir̃snas', which also means 'black'.
Examples in context
- कृष्णः मेघः आकाशे अस्ति।kṛṣṇaḥ meghaḥ ākāśe asti.A black cloud is in the sky.
Example conversation
Aditya and Isha are looking at a piece of cloth.
- आदित्य Adityaकिं एतत् कृष्णं वस्त्रम् अस्ति?kiṃ etat kṛṣṇaṃ vastram asti?Is this a black cloth?
- ईशा Ishaआम, एतत् कृष्णं वस्त्रम् अस्ति।āma, etat kṛṣṇaṃ vastram asti.Yes, this is a black cloth.
- आदित्य Adityaकृष्णः वर्णः अतीव सुन्दरः अस्ति।kṛṣṇaḥ varṇaḥ atīva sundaraḥ asti.The black color is very beautiful.
- ईशा Ishaसत्यम्, आदित्य!satyam, āditya!True, Aditya!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries कृष्ण, काला, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कृष्ण, CC BY-SA 4.0.
