Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ठंडा | ṭhaṇḍā | /ʈʰəɳ.ɖɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| शीत | śīt | /ʃiːt̪/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| शीतल | śītal | /ʃiː.t̪əl/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| सर्द | sard | /səɾd̪/ (Hindi, Standard) |
ठंडा is the most common adjective for things with a low temperature. सर्द is used specifically to describe cold weather, winds or the winter season. शीतल can be used to describe cold objects or the weather in a more formal or poetic sense.
Which one should you use?
ठंडा is the general-purpose word for cold. सर्द is specifically used for describing weather and seasons. शीतल is a more formal or literary option, often used to mean 'cool' or 'cold' when describing the weather or objects. शीत is another form related to the concept of cold.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
शीतल is more formal and is often found in literary or poetic contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
सर्द is commonly used in northern regions of India, such as Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, to describe coldness.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ठंडा changes its ending to agree with the gender and number of the noun it describes: use ठंडी for feminine nouns and ठंडे for masculine plural nouns or to show respect. If you are referring to 'a cold' as a noun (the illness), do not use the adjective forms. Instead, use the nouns सर्दी or ज़ुकाम.
How do you pronounce it?
ṭhaṇḍā (/ʈʰəɳ.ɖɑː/)
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the adjective ठंडा when you are talking about the illness 'a cold'.
Did you know?
- The phrase ठंडा पड़ना (to become cold) is often used idiomatically to describe a situation or a passion that has lost its intensity or excitement.
- The word शीतल is frequently used in the names of religious deities or sacred waters to imply a divine, soothing coolness rather than just a low temperature.
- The word सर्द is not native to India's ancient languages but was borrowed from Classical Persian.
Examples in context
- सर्द हवाएँ चल रहीं हैं आजकल।Cold winds are blowing these days.This sentence uses सर्द to describe cold winds.
- आज बहुत ठंडा है ना?It is very cold today, isn't it?This sentence uses ठंडा to talk about the temperature of the day.Tatoeba #505064 by minshirui, translation #242733 by CK
- खाना ठंडा हो रहा है।The food is getting cold.This sentence uses ठंडा to describe the temperature of food.Tatoeba #483024 by minshirui, translation #268653 by CK
- मैं ठंड बहुत महसूस कर रहा हूँ। (Main thand bahut mehsoos kar raha hoon.)I'm feeling very cold.
- आज ठंड बहुत है। (Aaj thand bahut hai.)It's very cold today.
- कृपया इस पानी को शीतल रखें। (Kripya is paani ko sheetal rakhein.)Please keep this water cold.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Amit are at a restaurant talking about their drinks.
- नेहा Nehaयह पानी बहुत ठंडा है।Yah paani bahut thanda hai.This water is very cold.
- अमित Amitहाँ, मुझे भी ऐसा ही लगा।Haan, mujhe bhi aisa hi laga.Yes, I felt the same way.
- नेहा Nehaक्या आपको ठंडा जूस चाहिए?Kya aapko thanda juice chahiye?Do you want cold juice?
- अमित Amitनहीं, मैं सामान्य पानी पियूँगा।Nahin, main saamanya paani piyunga.No, I will drink normal water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold” translations and entries ठंडा, शीत, शीतल, सर्द, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ठंडा, शीत, शीतल, सर्द, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
