बादल
bādal/bɑː.d̪əl/masculine
The English word "cloud" is बादल (bādal) in Hindi. Wiktionary also lists मेघ (megh) and अभ्र (abhra).
Meaning: visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| बादल | bādal | /bɑː.d̪əl/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मेघ | megh | /meːɡʱ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| अभ्र | abhra | /əbʱ.ɾᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
All forms of the word refer to a visible mass of water droplets suspended in the air.
Which one should you use?
बादल is the common word for cloud. मेघ is a more formal or poetic term often used in literature and songs.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word बादल changes to its oblique form बादलों when it is followed by a postposition, such as में (in) or से (from).
How do you pronounce it?
The default form बादल is pronounced /bɑː.d̪əl/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Indian classical music, the arrival of the 'clouds' is celebrated through a specific genre of songs called megh malhar designed to bring rain.
- The word बादल is actually a distant relative of the English word 'water', as both trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
- The word मेघ often appears in Indian mythology, such as in the story of Meghnad, whose name means 'thunder cloud'.
Examples in context
- आज आसमान में घने बादल छाये हुए हैं।Today, the sky is filled with dense clouds.
- आसमान में बादल हैं।āsmān mē̃ bādal haĩ
- आसमान में एक सफेद बादल है।aasman mein ek safed baadal hai.There is a white cloud in the sky.
- आज आसमान में बहुत बादल हैं।aaj aasman mein bahut baadal hain.There are many clouds in the sky today.
- काले बादल बारिश लाएंगे।kaale baadal baarish laayenge.Black clouds will bring rain.
Example conversation
Priya and Rahul are looking at the sky.
- राहुल Rahulदेखो, वह बादल कितना सुंदर है!Dekho, vah baadal kitna sundar hai!Look, how beautiful that cloud is!
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ, यह एक शेर जैसा दिखता है।Haan, yeh ek sher jaisa dikhta hai.Yes, it looks like a lion.
- राहुल Rahulलेकिन अब बादल काले हो रहे हैं।Lekin ab baadal kaale ho rahe hain.But now the clouds are turning black.
- प्रिया Priyaलगता है अब बारिश होगी।Lagta hai ab baarish hogi.It seems it will rain now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cloud” translations and entries बादल, मेघ, अभ्र, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अभ्र, बादल, मेघ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
