Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| दिवाली | divālī | /d̪ɪ.ʋɑː.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) /d̪ɪ.wɑː.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
| दीवाली | dīvālī | /d̪iː.ʋɑː.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine, alternative form |
| देवाली | devālī | feminine | |
| दीपावली | dīpāvlī | /d̪iː.pɑː.ʋə.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| दीपावलि | dīpāvli | /d̪iː.pɑː.ʋə.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| दीपाली | dīpālī | feminine | |
| दीपोत्सव | dīpotsav | /d̪iː.poːt̪.səʋ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| दीपमालिका | dīpmālikā | feminine | |
| दीपमाली | dīpmālī | feminine | |
| सुखरात्रि | sukhrātri | feminine |
The term refers to the major Hindu festival of lights. While several forms exist, the most common ways to interact with the term involve wishing someone well, such as saying दिवाली की शुभकामनाएँ (Happy Diwali) or using the greeting शुभ दीपावली (Happy Diwali).
What does it mean word for word?
The form दीपावली is a Sanskrit-derived compound where dīpa means lamp and āvalī means row, literally meaning 'row of lamps'. The word दीपोत्सव is a compound of deep and utsav, referring to a 'festival of lamps'.
Which one should you use?
दिवाली is the common everyday term. In contrast, दीपावली is the more formal and traditional name for the festival. Other forms include the alternative spelling दीवाली and the variation देवाली. Other specific terms include दीपावलि, दीपाली, दीपमालिका, दीपमाली and सुखरात्रि.
How does it change in a sentence?
The common forms दिवाली, दीवाली, देवाली, दीपावली, दीपावलि, दीपाली, दीपमालिका, दीपमाली and सुखरात्रि are feminine nouns. The form दीपोत्सव is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is divālī. It has 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
To greet someone for the festival, you can say शुभ दीपावली or दिवाली की शुभकामनाएँ, which means 'Happy Diwali' or 'Best wishes for Diwali'.
Did you know?
- While दिवाली celebrates light, the festival is traditionally observed during the darkest night of the Hindu lunar month, known as the 'Amavasya'.
- Although दिवाली is the most common name, the festival is also celebrated by Jains as the anniversary of Lord Mahavira's liberation, and by Sikhs as 'Bandi Chhor Divas'.
- During दिवाली, it is common to create 'rangoli' patterns on the floor using colored powders to welcome guests and deities.
Examples in context
- राजा को दिवाली क्या पता?What would the king know of Diwali?This sentence uses the form दिवाली to ask a rhetorical question about the king's knowledge of the festival.Tatoeba #2562758 by sabretou, translation #2562742 by sabretou
- दिवाली की शुभकामनाएँHappy Diwali!This sentence uses the form दिवाली to express a standard holiday greeting.
- आप सभी को दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं!Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!
- मैंने अपने दोस्त को एक दीवाली का तोहफा दिया।I gave my friend a Diwali gift.
- इस साल दिवाली कब है?is saal diwali kab hai?When is Diwali this year?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their holiday plans.
- राहुल Rahulक्या तुम दिवाली पर घर जाओगी?kya tum diwali par ghar jaogi?Will you go home for Diwali?
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, मैं दिवाली पर घर जाऊँगी।haan, main diwali par ghar jaungi.Yes, I will go home for Diwali.
- राहुल Rahulअंजलि, क्या तुम वहाँ पटाखे चलाओगी?anjali, kya tum vahan patakhe chalaogi?Anjali, will you burst crackers there?
- अंजलि Anjaliनहीं, मुझे दिवाली पर पटाखे पसंद नहीं हैं।nahin, mujhe diwali par patakhe pasand nahin hain.No, I don't like firecrackers on Diwali.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Diwali” translations and entries दिवाली, दीवाली, दीपावली, दीपावलि, दीपोत्सव, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
