Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| व्यायाम | vyāyām | /ʋjɑː.jɑːm/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| वर्ज़िश | varziś | /ʋəɾ.zɪʃ/ (Hindi, Standard) /ʋəɾ.d͡ʒɪʃ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
| कसरत | kasrat | /kəs.ɾət̪/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
In Hindi, these terms refer to physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness.
Which one should you use?
The term व्यायाम is a formal, Sanskrit-derived word. In contrast, कसरत and वर्ज़िश are more common in everyday colloquial speech. कसरत is an everyday term used throughout much of North India, while वर्ज़िश is a Persian-derived term frequently used in Urdu-influenced Hindi and certain social registers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
कसरत is a common term for physical exercise used in much of North India.
How does it change in a sentence?
The nouns कसरत and वर्ज़िश are feminine, whereas व्यायाम is a masculine noun. To express the action 'to exercise', the noun is typically paired with the verb करना (karnā, to do) to form the phrase व्यायाम करना.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of व्यायाम is /ʋjɑː.jɑːm/ (two syllables).
Did you know?
- The word कसरत originally meant 'abundance' or 'excess' in Arabic and Persian before it came to describe the repetitive strain and intensity of physical exercise.
- In some contexts, the word कसरत can be used metaphorically to describe a 'great effort' or 'hard struggle' to achieve a mental goal, not just a physical one.
- The word वर्ज़िश is a linguistic bridge between Hindi and Persian, reflecting the era when Persian was the official court language of the Mughal Empire in India.
Examples in context
- टॉम व्यायाम नहीं करना चाहता।Tom doesn't want to exercise.This sentence shows the use of व्यायाम in a negative context.Tatoeba #11381083 by PrasantaHembram, translation #11257518 by Ergulis
- व्यायाम करनाTo exerciseThis phrase shows how to form the verbal expression 'to exercise' using व्यायाम.
- मैंने वर्कआउट किया।I worked out.
- मैंने फिटनेस की शुरुआत की है।I have started fitness training.
- रोज़ाना व्यायाम करना सेहत के लिए अच्छा है।rojānā vyāyām karnā sehat ke liye achchā hai.Doing daily exercise is good for health.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Vikas are discussing their morning routine.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या आप रोज़ सुबह व्यायाम करते हैं?kyā āp roj subah vyāyām karte hain?Do you exercise every morning?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, मैं रोज़ सुबह व्यायाम करता हूँ।hā̃, main roj subah vyāyām kartā hū̃.Yes, I exercise every morning.
- प्रिया Priyaयह बहुत अच्छी आदत है।yah bahut achchī ādat hai.That is a very good habit.
- विकास Vikasधन्यवाद, प्रिया।dhanyavād, priyā.Thank you, Priya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “exercise” translations and entries व्यायाम, वर्ज़िश, कसरत, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कसरत, वर्ज़िश, व्यायाम, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
