उत्कृष्ट
utkŕṣṭ/ʊt̪.kɾɪʂʈ/
The English word 'excellent' can be translated into Hindi using several terms, most commonly उत्कृष्ट (utkŕṣṭ). Wiktionary also lists श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh) and उत्तम (uttam).
Meaning: of the highest quality (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| उत्कृष्ट | utkŕṣṭ | /ʊt̪.kɾɪʂʈ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| श्रेष्ठ | śreṣṭh | /ʃɾeːʂʈʰ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| उत्तम | uttam | /ʊt̪.t̪əm/ (Hindi, Standard) |
All these terms are used to describe something of the highest quality.
Which one should you use?
While all three forms can mean 'excellent', they have different nuances. उत्कृष्ट is a formal way to describe high quality. श्रेष्ठ carries the additional sense of being 'superior' or 'noble' in terms of character or status. उत्तम is a very common way to say 'excellent' or 'very good' and is slightly more conversational than उत्कृष्ट.
How do you pronounce it?
The word उत्कृष्ट is pronounced /ʊt̪.kɾɪʂʈ/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word श्रेष्ठ is a doublet of the common Hindi word सेठ, which refers to a wealthy merchant or businessman.
- The Sanskrit root of उत्कृष्ट involves the concept of being 'drawn up' or 'elevated', much like an object being lifted higher than others.
- The word उत्तम is part of a Sanskrit-derived scale of quality that includes उत्तम for 'best' and अधम for 'lowest'.
Examples in context
- अति उत्कृष्ट!Excellent!This sentence is useful for expressing an exclamation of excellence using उत्कृष्ट.Tatoeba #8876363 by simranbansal, translation #1613750 by zzxjoanw
- उसके नाटक की प्रस्तुति बेहतरीन थी।His play's performance was excellent.
- आपके प्रदर्शन को प्रशंसनीय माना जाता है।Your performance is considered excellent.
- उस फिल्म का काम वाकई जबरदस्त रहा है।The work in that movie was truly excellent.
- कार्यक्रम शानदार रहा था।The program was excellent.
- यह विचार उत्कृष्ट है।This idea is excellent.
- यह एक उत्कृष्ट कृति है।Yah ek utkrisht kriti hai.This is an excellent masterpiece.
- उनका प्रदर्शन उत्कृष्ट था।Unka pradarshan utkrisht tha.His performance was excellent.
Example conversation
Neha and Vikas are discussing a project at work.
- नेहा Nehaविकास, आपने यह रिपोर्ट कब पूरी की?Vikas, aapne yeh report kab poori ki?Vikas, when did you finish this report?
- विकास Vikasमैंने इसे कल रात पूरा किया।Maine ise kal raat poora kiya.I finished it last night.
- नेहा Nehaआपका काम उत्कृष्ट है!Aapka kaam utkrisht hai!Your work is excellent!
- विकास Vikasशुक्रिया, नेहा!Shukriya, Neha!Thank you, Neha!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excellent” translations and entries उत्कृष्ट, श्रेष्ठ, उत्तम, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries उत्कृष्ट, उत्तम, श्रेष्ठ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
