लड़की
laṛkī/ləɽ.kiː/
The Hindi word for 'girl' is लड़की (laṛkī).
The term लड़की is used to refer to a female child or a young woman and is the most common way to say 'girl' in Hindi.
Which one should you use?
While लड़की is the standard term, you may encounter other words depending on the context. Kanya refers specifically to an unmarried girl or maiden, and Chhori is a colloquial way to say 'girl' or 'lass'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of लड़की is लड़कियाँ. When the word is followed by a postposition (such as 'in' or 'of'), it enters the oblique case. In the case of लड़की, the form remains the same, though in other instances, the word ending may change.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as laṛkī (/ləɽ.kiː/). It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term कन्या (kanya) is not just a synonym for 'girl' but is deeply tied to the 'Kanya Puja' tradition, where young girls are worshipped as embodiments of the goddess Durga during the Navratri festival.
- The pronunciation of लड़की involves a unique 'bouncing' sound produced by the 'ṛ' letter. To say it correctly, you must curl your tongue back to create a retroflex flap, a sound entirely absent from English.
- In some rural dialects of Northern India, you will hear छोरी (chhori) instead of लड़की. While understood everywhere, using छोरी in a formal city setting can sound strikingly rustic or like a character from a Bollywood village scene.
Examples in context
- वह एक अच्छी लड़की है।vah ek achchhee lakaree hai.She is a good girl.
- वह छोटी लड़की बहुत बुद्धिमान है।vah chhoti lakaree bahut buddhiman hai.That little girl is very intelligent.
Example conversation
Neha and Amit are talking about a neighbor's child.
- नेहा Nehaवह छोटी लड़की बहुत प्यारी है।vah chhotee ladkee bahut pyaaree hai.That little girl is very cute.
- अमित Amitहाँ, वह बहुत समझदार भी है।haan, vah bahut samajhdaar bhee hai.Yes, she is very intelligent too.
- नेहा Nehaलड़की किसका नाम पुकार रही है?ladkee kisaka naam pukaar rahee hai?Who is the girl calling?
- अमित Amitवह अपनी माँ को बुला रही है।vah apanee maan ko bula rahee hai.She is calling her mother.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry लड़की, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
