प्राणी
prāṇīneutral, standard
In Hindi, a creature is most often a प्राणी (prāṇī), a living being or animal. जीव (jīv) is a wider word for any living thing, from insects to people.
Meaning: living being or animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| प्राणी | prāṇī | neutral, standard |
| जीव | jīv | general, literary |
प्राणी is the word used in school books and the news, as in जंगली प्राणी (jaṅglī prāṇī), "wild animal". Everyday speech often uses जानवर (jānvar) for animals.
Which one should you use?
जीव can also mean "soul" or "life", so जीव-जंतु (jīv-jantu) is the common pair for "living creatures and small animals".
Did you know?
- जीव-जंतु (jīv-jantu) is a fixed pair in Hindi and is used for animals and insects together.
Examples in context
- समुद्र में अजीब जीव रहते हैं।samudra meṃ ajīb jīv rahte haiṃ.Strange creatures live in the sea.
Example conversation
Rohan shows his teacher Mrs. Sharma a picture in a science book.
- Rohanमैडम, यह कौन सा प्राणी है?maiḍam, yah kaun sā prāṇī hai?Madam, what creature is this?
- Mrs. Sharmaयह एक समुद्री प्राणी है।yah ek samudrī prāṇī hai.This is a sea creature.
- Rohanयह कहाँ रहता है?yah kahāṁ rahtā hai?Where does it live?
