कायर
kāyar/kɑː.jəɾ/
The Hindi word for coward is कायर (kāyar). Wiktionary also lists बुज़दिल (buzdil) and बुजदिल (bujdil).
Meaning: a person who lacks courage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| कायर | kāyar | /kɑː.jəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| बुज़दिल | buzdil | /bʊz.d̪ɪl/ (Hindi, Standard) /bʊd͡ʒ.d̪ɪl/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
| बुजदिल | bujdil | masculine |
The term refers to a person who lacks courage.
Which one should you use?
While both कायर and बुज़दिल mean coward, कायर is a more standard Hindi word. In contrast, बुज़दिल (also written as बुजदिल) is a loanword from Urdu/Persian that is often used in more emotive or dramatic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
कायर is an invariant adjective and noun, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender of the person being described. The masculine form बुज़दिल can be used as an adjective to describe a male person or a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is kāyar (two syllables).
Did you know?
- The term बुज़दिल contains a surprising literal translation of 'goat-heart'. It is a compound of the Persian words for 'goat' and 'heart'.
- Because बुज़दिल is common in Urdu, it is frequently heard in the dialogue of Bollywood films to heighten dramatic tension.
- In Hindi, using बुज़दिल instead of कायर often signals a more personal or emotional attack rather than a formal description.
Examples in context
- वह डरपोक है।He is a coward.
- कायर कभी सच नहीं बोलता।kaayar kabhi sach nahīn bolta.A coward never tells the truth.
- तुम कायर क्यों बन रहे हो?tum kaayar kyon ban rahe ho?Why are you being a coward?
Example conversation
Rahul and Anjali are discussing a friend who refused to help someone in need.
- राहुल Rahulक्या तुमने उसे देखा? वह बहुत कायर है।kya tumne use dekha? vah bahut kaayar hai.Did you see him? He is a real coward.
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, राहुल, उसने मदद करने से मना कर दिया।haan, Rahul, usne madad karne se mana kar diya.Yes, Rahul, he refused to help.
- राहुल Rahulएक असली इंसान कभी कायर नहीं होता।ek asli insaan kabhi kaayar nahīn hota.A real person is never a coward.
- अंजलि Anjaliतुम सही कह रहे हो।tum sahi keh rahe ho.You are right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coward” translations and entries कायर, बुज़दिल, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कायर, बुज़दिल, CC BY-SA 4.0.
