समलैंगिक
samlaiṅgik/səm.lɛːŋ.ɡɪk/
The English word 'gay' can be translated into Hindi as समलैंगिक (samlaiṅgik).
The term is used as an adjective to mean homosexual.
Meaning: homosexual (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
समलैंगिक is composed of सम meaning 'same' and लैंगिक meaning 'gender-related' or 'sexual'.
Which one should you use?
समलैंगिक is the standard term used in academic, legal or news contexts, whereas गे is a more colloquial version adapted from English and used to refer to a homosexual person, especially a male.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
समलैंगिक is the formal way to say 'homosexual'. In casual or urban conversations, the informal English loanword गे is commonly used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, समलैंगिक remains the same regardless of the gender of the person being described.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /səm.lɛːŋ.ɡɪk/ (samlaiṅgik) and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- Historically, many people in India used the phrase तृतीय प्रकृति, which translates to 'third nature', to describe non-binary or queer identities. This term often referred to a social and spiritual category rather than just a sexual orientation.
- The term समलैंगिक is grammatically unique because it is one of the few adjectives in Hindi that does not change its form to match the gender of the person you are talking about. Whether you are describing a man or a woman, the word stays exactly the same.
- In English, the word 'gay' originally meant 'happy', but the Hindi loanword गे has completely shed that original meaning and only carries the connotation of sexual orientation.
Examples in context
- क्या समलैंगिक विवाह कानूनी होना चाहिए?Should gay marriage be legal?This sentence is useful for discussing the legality of समलैंगिक marriage.Tatoeba #11265446 by PrasantaHembram, translation #2980163 by Hybrid
- मारीओ, मुझे समलैंगिक कहना बंद करो! मैं सीधा हूँ!Mario, stop calling me gay! I'm straight!This sentence shows the use of समलैंगिक when someone is being called gay.Tatoeba #3788598 by RadiumCat, translation #3788443 by Ooneykcall
- मैं समलैंगिक हूँ मगर दूसरों को मत बताना। यह भेद की बात है।I'm gay, but don't tell anyone. It's a secret.This sentence illustrates how to use समलैंगिक when sharing a personal identity.
- उन्हें पता था कि वह समलैंगिक हैं।They knew that he is gay.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aditya and Neha are discussing a new film character.
- आदित्य Adityaवह फिल्म का मुख्य पात्र समलैंगिक है।Vah film ka mukhya patra samlaingik hai.The main character of that film is gay.
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, यह कहानी बहुत अच्छी है।Haan, yeh kahani bahut achhi hai.Yes, this story is very good.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या तुम्हें ऐसी फिल्में पसंद हैं?Kya tumhe aisi filmein pasand hain?Do you like such films?
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, मुझे विविधता पसंद है।Haan, mujhe vividhta pasand hai.Yes, I like diversity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gay” translations and entries समलैंगिक, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
