वीर
vīra/ʋiː.ɾɐ́/masculine
In Sanskrit, the English phrase hero is expressed as वीर (vīra). If unsure, use वीर. Wiktionary also lists प्रवीर (pravīra).
Meaning: person of great bravery (verb)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| वीर | vīra | /ʋiː.ɾɐ́/ (Vedic) /ʋiː.ɾɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| प्रवीर | pravīra | masculine |
The term refers to a person of great bravery.
What does it mean word for word?
The word वीर is derived from a root meaning to be brave or to be powerful.
Which one should you use?
While वीर means hero, the form प्रवीर uses the prefix pra- to intensify the meaning, denoting an excellent hero or someone who is most excellent and preeminent among others.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is वीर. To indicate possession, such as 'of the hero', use the genitive singular form वीरस्य. To refer to multiple heroes, use the masculine plural form वीराः.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is vīra (/ʋiː.ɾɐ́/). It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit word वीर is a distant relative of the Old English word 'wer', which survives today in the word 'werewolf', meaning 'man-wolf'.
- In traditional Indian aesthetics, वीर रस (vīra rasa) is one of the primary emotional states, specifically the 'heroic sentiment' that inspires courage and confidence in an audience.
- While वीर is masculine, a female hero is called a वीरांगना (vīrāṅganā), a term famously used to describe the warrior queens of Indian history.
Example sentences for Sanskrit are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Kavya and Aryan are discussing a story about a brave warrior.
- काव्या Kavyaआर्य, किम् एषः वीरः अस्ति?Ārya, kim eṣaḥ vīraḥ asti?Aryan, is this man a hero?
- आर्यन Aryanआम्, सः अतीव साहसी वीरः अस्ति।ām, saḥ atīva sāhasī vīraḥ asti.Yes, he is a very courageous hero.
- काव्या Kavyaतस्य कथा अतीव सुन्दरी अस्ति।tasya kathā atīva sundarī asti.His story is very beautiful.
- आर्यन Aryanसत्यम्, सर्वे तं प्रशंसन्ति।satyam, sarve taṃ praśaṃsanti.True, everyone praises him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hero” translations and entries वीर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries वीर, CC BY-SA 4.0.
