मगरमच्छ
magarmacch/mə.ɡəɾ.mət̪t͡ʃʰ/masculine
The Hindi word for crocodile is मगरमच्छ (magarmacch). Wiktionary also lists मगर (magar) and घड़ियाल (ghaṛiyāl).
Meaning: reptile (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| मगरमच्छ | magarmacch | /mə.ɡəɾ.mət̪t͡ʃʰ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मगर | magar | /mə.ɡəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| घड़ियाल | ghaṛiyāl | /ɡʱə.ɽɪ.jɑːl/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The term refers to the reptile known as a crocodile.
What does it mean word for word?
The word मगरमच्छ contains the component मगर, which itself means crocodile.
Which one should you use?
While मगरमच्छ is a general term for a crocodile, घड़ियाल specifically refers to the gharial, a species of crocodile characterized by a very long, thin snout.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
मगरमच्छ is the formal translation for crocodile, whereas मगर is a shortened, colloquial version used in casual speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the word मगरमच्छ is followed by a postposition, the oblique plural form मगरमच्छों is used.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced magarmacch (/mə.ɡəɾ.mət̪tʃʰ/).
Did you know?
- In Hindi, the word मगर is a homonym that also means 'but'.
- The word मकर is used in Indian astrology to name the zodiac sign of Capricorn, which is depicted as a mythical sea creature.
- The formal word मगरमच्छ is a compound that literally translates to 'crocodile-fish'.
Examples in context
- गंगा नदी में एक मगरमच्छ दिखाई दिया।A crocodile was seen in the river Ganges.
- नदी में एक मगरमच्छ है।Nadi mein ek magarmacch hai.There is a crocodile in the river.
- मगरमच्छ बहुत खतरनाक होता है।Magarmacch bahut khatarnak hota hai.A crocodile is very dangerous.
- उसने एक बड़ा मगरमच्छ देखा।Usne ek bada magarmacch dekha.He saw a large crocodile.
Example conversation
Neha and Vikas are talking about a nature documentary at home.
- नेहा Nehaक्या तुमने उस मगरमच्छ को देखा?Kya tumne us magarmacch ko dekha?Did you see that crocodile?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, वह बहुत बड़ा था।Haan, vah bahut bada tha.Yes, it was very large.
- नेहा Nehaविकास, वह बहुत डरावना लग रहा था।Vikas, vah bahut daravna lag raha tha.Vikas, it looked very scary.
- विकास Vikasमगरमच्छ वाकई डरावने होते हैं।Magarmacch vaakai daravne hote hain.Crocodiles are indeed scary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crocodile” translations and entries मगरमच्छ, मगर, घड़ियाल, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
