गृहिणी
gŕhiṇī/ɡɾɪ.ɦɪ.ɳiː/feminine
Housewife in Hindi is गृहिणी (gŕhiṇī), the standard word for a woman who runs the household. If unsure, use गृहिणी. Wiktionary also lists घरनी (gharnī) and घरवाली (gharvālī).
Meaning: female head of household (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| गृहिणी | gŕhiṇī | /ɡɾɪ.ɦɪ.ɳiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| घरनी | gharnī | feminine | |
| घरवाली | gharvālī | /ɡʱəɾ.ʋɑː.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
गृहिणी describes a woman whose main work is managing the home and family. It is the word you would use on a form or when saying what someone's mother does.
Which one should you use?
गृहिणी stresses the role of managing the household. घरवाली (gharvālī) is more common in casual speech and often simply means wife. घरनी (gharnī) is another homely word for the woman of the house.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
गृहिणी is the formal and most respectful term. घरवाली is colloquial and less formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three words are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
गृहिणी is pronounced /ɡɾɪ.ɦɪ.ɳiː/, in three syllables. The n near the end is made with the tongue curled back, and the word ends in a long ee sound.
Did you know?
- In many traditional Indian households, the गृहिणी is not seen merely as a cleaner or cook, but as the 'Lakshmi' or goddess of wealth and prosperity for the home.
- The suffix -वाली in घरवाली is a versatile linguistic tool used to turn any noun into a person associated with that thing, such as a 'tea-seller' being a चाय-वाली.
- The formal term गृहिणी is rooted in Sanskrit, the ancient liturgical language of India, making it a 'Tatsama' word that carries a sense of classical weight and dignity.
Examples in context
- टॉम की माँ गृहिणी है।Tom's mother is a housewife.This is the simplest way to say what someone's mother does, using गृहिणी as the noun after the name.Tatoeba #10068396 by sabretou, translation #5090049 by CK
- वह एक कुशल गृहिणी है जो अपने परिवार का बहुत ध्यान रखती है।She is a skilled housewife who takes great care of her family.Here गृहिणी is praised as skilled, a common way to speak warmly of someone who runs a home.
- मेरी माँ एक गृहिणी हैं।meri maa ek grihini hain.My mother is a housewife.
Example conversation
Aditya and Pooja are discussing career options.
- आदित्य Adityaपूजा, क्या तुम काम करना चाहती हो?pooja, kya tum kaam karna chahti ho?Pooja, do you want to work?
- पूजा Poojaनहीं, मैं एक गृहिणी बनना चाहती हूँ।nahi, main ek grihini banna chahti hoon.No, I want to be a housewife.
- आदित्य Adityaयह एक बहुत ही सम्मानजनक निर्णय है।yeh ek bahut hi sammanjanak nirnay hai.That is a very respectable decision.
- पूजा Poojaधन्यवाद, आदित्य।dhanyavaad, aaditya.Thank you, Aditya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “housewife” translations and entries गृहिणी, घरवाली, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries गृहिणी, घरवाली, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
