कठिन
kaṭhin/kə.ʈʰɪn/
The English word 'hard' (meaning requiring effort to do or understand) is translated to Hindi as कठिन (kaṭhin). Wiktionary also lists मुश्किल (muśkil) and दूभर (dūbhar).
Meaning: requiring a lot of effort to do or understand (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| कठिन | kaṭhin | /kə.ʈʰɪn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| मुश्किल | muśkil | /mʊʃ.kɪl/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| दूभर | dūbhar | /d̪uː.bʱəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| कठोर | kaṭhor | /kə.ʈʰoːɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the intensity and type of difficulty. मुश्किल is more common in everyday spoken Hindi, whereas कठिन sounds slightly more formal or academic. If a situation is extremely difficult or reaches a point where it is almost impossible to endure or manage, use दूभर. Note that कठोर should not be used to describe a difficult task, as it specifically refers to physical hardness or a person's harsh/strict temperament.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kaṭhin. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using कठोर when you want to say a task is 'hard' or 'difficult'. In Hindi, कठोर only refers to physical hardness or strictness of character.
Did you know?
- The word मुश्किल has deep roots in the Middle East, having travelled from Arabic into Persian before entering Hindi. This makes it a linguistic bridge between the Indian subcontinent and the Arab world.
- The word दूभर is often used in poetry or dramatic speech to describe a life or situation that has become an unbearable burden.
- While कठोर describes a 'hard' person, it is the same word used to describe the physical hardness of a diamond or a stone.
Examples in context
- थके हुए हो तो ध्यान देना मुश्किल होता है।It's hard to concentrate when you're tired.This sentence shows how to use मुश्किल regarding concentration.Tatoeba #11135053 by thevikas, translation #11135050 by CK
- उसको खुश करना बहुत मुश्किल है।He is hard to please.This sentence uses मुश्किल to describe a person who is hard to please.Tatoeba #516766 by minshirui, translation #295084 by CH
- इस समस्या को सुलझाना बहुत कठिन है।This problem is hard to solve.This sentence uses कठिन to describe a difficult problem to solve.Tatoeba #459447 by minshirui, translation #1982316 by jackchak
- परीक्षा बहुत मुश्किल थी।The exam was very hard.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Vikas and Pooja are discussing a math problem.
- विकास Vikasयह सवाल बहुत कठिन है।Yah sawal bahut kathin hai.This question is very hard.
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, यह बहुत कठिन है।Haan, yah bahut kathin hai.Yes, it is very hard.
- विकास Vikasक्या तुम इसे समझ सकती हो?Kya tum ise samajh sakti ho?Can you understand it?
- पूजा Poojaनहीं, मुझे यह कठिन लग रहा है।Nahin, mujhe yah kathin lag raha hai.No, I am finding it hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hard” translations and entries कठिन, मुश्किल, दूभर, कठोर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कठिन, कठोर, दूभर, मुश्किल, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
