Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| दुश्मन | duśman | /d̪ʊʃ.mən/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| शत्रु | śatru | /ʃət̪.ɾuː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| वैरी | vairī | masculine | |
| द्वेषी | dveṣī | /d̪ʋeː.ʂiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| बैरी | bairī | /bɛː.ɾiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| विरोधी | virodhī | /ʋɪ.ɾoː.d̪ʱiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| विपक्षी | vipakṣī | /ʋɪ.pək.ʂiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| अरि | ari | masculine |
The terms used for 'enemy' in Hindi describe someone who is hostile, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of or intends to cause injury to another person.
Which one should you use?
While दुश्मन implies a personal or hostile enemy, विपक्षी is used for a political or formal opponent. The word विरोधी is often used for someone who opposes an idea, a policy or a movement, rather than a person with personal hatred. वैरी is a formal word for adversary.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
दुश्मन is the most common, everyday way to refer to an enemy in spoken Hindi. In contrast, शत्रु is a more formal and literary term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word दुश्मन is used for both singular and plural forms without changing its spelling. To describe the state of being enemies or the feeling of enmity, the abstract noun दुश्मनी is used.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is duśman, pronounced /d̪ʊʃ.mən/.
Did you know?
- The most common word for enemy, दुश्मन, is actually a loanword from Persian rather than being native to the Sanskrit roots of Hindi.
- The term दुश्मनी refers to the state of enmity and is frequently used in Bollywood cinema to describe ancestral blood feuds.
- In formal Hindi, the term वैरी is often used in poetic or spiritual contexts to describe the internal struggle against one's own vices.
Examples in context
- शत्रु को पीछे हटना पड़ा।The enemy was forced to retreat.This sentence shows how to describe an enemy retreating using शत्रु.
- आपका शत्रु कौन है?Who is your enemy?This sentence is a way to ask someone who their enemy is using शत्रु.Tatoeba #3786382 by sabretou, translation #2915479 by sabretou
- वह हमारा शत्रु है।He's our enemy.This sentence demonstrates how to identify someone as an enemy using शत्रु.Tatoeba #13688110 by sabretou, translation #8478621 by CH
- उसके लेखन में वह अपने राजनीतिक वैरियों के खिलाफ सच्चाई की आवाज उठाता है।In his writings, he raises the voice of truth against his political adversaries.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Priya are talking about a movie plot.
- अमित Amitफिल्म में मुख्य दुश्मन बहुत शक्तिशाली है।Film mein mukhya dushman bahut shaktishaali hai.The main enemy in the movie is very powerful.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या वह हीरो का पुराना दुश्मन है?Kya vah hero ka purana dushman hai?Is he the hero's old enemy?
- अमित Amitहाँ, वे बचपन से दुश्मन हैं।Haan, ve bachpan se dushman hain.Yes, they have been enemies since childhood.
- प्रिया Priyaअब समझी, इसलिए उनके बीच इतनी नफरत है।Ab samjhi, isliye unke beech itni nafrat hai.I see now, that is why there is so much hatred between them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “enemy” translations and entries दुश्मन, शत्रु, द्वेषी, बैरी, विरोधी, विपक्षी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries दुश्मन, द्वेषी, शत्रु, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
