अश्व
aśva/ɐ́ɕ.ʋɐ/masculine
The Sanskrit word for horse is अश्व (aśva). Wiktionary also lists घोटक (ghoṭaka) and तुरग (turaga).
Meaning: members of the species ''Equus ferus'' (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| अश्व | aśva | /ɐ́ɕ.ʋɐ/ (Vedic) /ɐɕ.ʋɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| घोटक | ghoṭaka | /ɡʱoː.ʈɐ.kɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) | masculine |
| तुरग | turaga | /t̪u.ɾɐ.ɡɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) | masculine |
| अर्वन् | arvan | masculine | |
| हय | haya | /ɦɐ́.jɐ/ (Vedic) /ɦɐ.jɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| वातायन | vātāyana | /ʋɑː.tɑː.jɐ.nɐ/ (Vedic) /ʋɑː.t̪ɑː.jɐ.n̪ɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
All provided forms of the word refer to members of the species Equus ferus.
Which one should you use?
अश्व is the most common and standard term for horse. घोटक is often used to refer specifically to a colt or a young horse. तुरग is a poetic synonym for horse, often used in literature to emphasize speed.
How does it change in a sentence?
The nominative singular form of अश्व is अश्वः. All listed forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of अश्व is aśva (/ɐ́ɕ.ʋɐ/). It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Vedic culture, the horse was so central that the अश्वमेध, the horse sacrifice, was one of the most important royal rites performed to ensure power.
- The word अश्व is a distant relative of the Latin 'equus' and the English word 'equine', both of which share the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
- While अश्व is the standard term, the synonym तुरग is a compound that literally translates to 'moving quickly' because it combines 'quick' and 'moving'.
Examples in context
- अश्वः तीव्रं धावति।aśvaḥ tīvraṃ dhāvati.The horse runs fast.
- मम समीपे एकः अश्वः अस्ति।mama samīpe ekaḥ aśvaḥ asti.There is a horse near me.
- अश्वः हरितं घासम् खादति।aśvaḥ haritaṃ ghāsam khādati.The horse eats green grass.
Example conversation
Ananya and Aryan are at a farm.
- आर्यन Aryanअनन्ये, तत्र पश्य, अश्वः अस्ति।ananye, tatra paśya, aśvaḥ asti.Ananya, look there, there is a horse.
- अनन्या Ananyaआर्यन, अश्वः अतीव सुन्दरः अस्ति।āryan, aśvaḥ atīva sundaraḥ asti.Aryan, the horse is very beautiful.
- आर्यन Aryanकिं त्वम् अश्वम् आरोढुम् इच्छसि?kiṃ tvam aśvam āroḍhum icchasi?Do you want to ride the horse?
- अनन्या Ananyaआम्, अहम् अश्वम् आरोढुम् इच्छामि।ām, aham aśvam āroḍhum icchāmi.Yes, I want to ride the horse.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “horse” translations and entries अश्व, घोटक, तुरग, हय, वातायन, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अश्व, घोटक, तुरग, CC BY-SA 4.0.
