Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| मूर | mūra | /muː.ɾɐ́/ (Vedic) /muː.ɾɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
| मूर्ख | mūrkha | /muːɾ.kʰɐ́/ (Vedic) /muːɾ.kʰɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
| जल | jala | /d͡ʑɐ.lɐ́/ (Vedic) /d͡ʑɐ.l̪ɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
| मूढ | mūḍha | /muː.ɖʱɐ́/ (Vedic) /muː.ɖʱɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
| निर्बुद्धि | nirbud'dhi | /niɾ.búd.dʱi/ (Vedic) /n̪iɾ.bud̪.d̪ʱi/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
In Sanskrit, the translation of "dumb" depends on whether you mean lacking intelligence or being unable to speak. While terms like मूर्ख or निर्बुद्धि describe a lack of intellect, the word मूक is specifically used to describe someone who is incapable of speech.
What does it mean word for word?
The word निर्बुद्धि (nirbud'dhi) is composed of the prefix nir (meaning "without") and buddhi (meaning "intellect" or "intelligence").
Which one should you use?
The forms in Sanskrit carry different nuances: मूर्ख and मूर generally relate to stupidity, while मूढ often carries a connotation of being deluded, ignorant or spiritually blinded rather than just lacking intelligence. Unlike the general terms for stupidity, मूक refers specifically to the inability to speak.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use मूर्ख (mūrkha) as a masculine noun meaning "a fool", you add the masculine nominative singular ending -s to form मूर्खः (mūrkhaḥ).
How do you pronounce it?
The word मूर is pronounced /muː.ɾɐ́/.
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit word मूर shares a common ancient ancestor with the English words 'moron', 'sophomore' and 'oxymoron'.
Examples in context
- सः मूरः अस्ति।saḥ mūraḥ asti.He is stupid.
Example conversation
Aryan and Mira are talking about a silly mistake.
- आर्यन Aryanमम कार्यं मूरम् आसीत्।mama kāryaṃ mūram āsīt.My action was stupid.
- मीरा Miraन मूरम्, केवलं त्रुटिः।na mūram, kevalaṃ truṭiḥ.Not stupid, just a mistake.
- आर्यन Aryanकिन्तु अहम् मूरः इव अनुभवम् करोमि।kintu aham mūraḥ iva anubhavam karomi.But I feel like a dummy.
- मीरा Miraत्वं मूरः न असि, आर्यन।tvaṃ mūraḥ na asi, āryan.You are not stupid, Aryan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dumb” translations and entries मूर, मूर्ख, जल, मूढ, निर्बुद्धि, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries जल, मूढ, मूर, मूर्ख, CC BY-SA 4.0.
