गाड़ी
gāṛī/ɡɑː.ɽiː/feminine
The Hindi word for car is गाड़ी (gāṛī) or कार.
Meaning: automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| गाड़ी | gāṛī | /ɡɑː.ɽiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| कार | kār | /kɑːɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
Both words are used to refer to an automobile, but they differ in scope. गाड़ी is a broad term that can mean any vehicle, carriage or cart, while कार specifically refers to an automobile.
Which one should you use?
कार is a direct loanword from English and is used specifically for automobiles. In contrast, गाड़ी is a more general and colloquial term that can encompass any kind of vehicle or carriage.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both गाड़ी and कार are feminine nouns. Because गाड़ी is feminine, any adjectives describing it must also be in the feminine form, such as अच्छी गाड़ी for 'good car'.
How do you pronounce it?
gāṛī (two syllables)
Did you know?
- The English loanword कार is a linguistic 'false friend' to some, as it shares an identical spelling and sound with a Sanskrit word meaning 'tax' or 'work'.
- In many parts of India, you might hear people use गाड़ी to refer to a train, as 'train' is often colloquially called 'rail gāṛī'.
- Depending on the context, the word कार in Hindi can be a loanword from English, Classical Persian, or even Sanskrit.
Examples in context
- कार से चलते हैं.Let's go by car.This sentence shows how to use कार to express traveling by car.Tatoeba #884501 by thevikas, translation #265462 by CK
- मैं एक नई कार ख़रीदूंगा।I will buy a new car.This sentence demonstrates using कार when talking about purchasing a car.Tatoeba #884502 by thevikas, translation #11153468 by sabretou
- में रोज कार से दफ्तर जाता हूं.I go to work by car every day.This sentence shows the use of कार when describing a daily commute.Tatoeba #884500 by thevikas, translation #261844 by CK
- मैंने गाड़ी खरीदी। (Maine gaadi kharidi.)I bought a car.
- कल मैंने गाड़ी चलाई। (Kal Maine gaadi chalai.)I drove a car yesterday.
- 87 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Amit are discussing how to get to the party.
- नेहा Nehaक्या हम अपनी गाड़ी से चलें?Kya hum apni gaadi se chalen?Shall we go by our car?
- अमित Amitहाँ, गाड़ी से जाना आसान होगा।Haan, gaadi se jaana aasaan hoga.Yes, it will be easier to go by car.
- नेहा Nehaगाड़ी कहाँ खड़ी है?Gaadi kahan khadi hai?Where is the car parked?
- अमित Amitगाड़ी बाहर गैराज में है।Gaadi baahar garage mein hai.The car is in the garage outside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries गाड़ी, कार, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कार, गाड़ी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
