भारत
bhārata/bʱɑ́ː.ɾɐ.tɐ/neuter
The English phrase India is called भारत (bhārata) in Sanskrit. Wiktionary also lists भारतवर्ष (bhāratavarṣa).
Meaning: the country (name)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| भारत | bhārata | /bʱɑ́ː.ɾɐ.tɐ/ (Vedic) /bʱɑː.ɾɐ.t̪ɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
neuter |
| भारतवर्ष | bhāratavarṣa | /bʱɑː.ɾɐ.tɐ.ʋɐɾ.ʂɐ/ (Vedic) /bʱɑː.ɾɐ.t̪ɐ.ʋɐɾ.ʂɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
neuter |
The term is used as a name for the country.
Which one should you use?
While भारत can refer to the name itself, भारतवर्ष is more commonly used in classical texts to denote the entire geographical landmass or subcontinent.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'of India' (the genitive case), you must use the form भारतस्य.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /bʱɑ́ː.ɾɐ.tɐ/. The romanization is bhārata.
Did you know?
- In traditional Sanskrit cosmology, भारतवर्ष is viewed as the 'karmabhoomi', the land where humans can most easily resolve their karma.
- The word भरत (bharata) is also a common term in classical dance and drama to describe an actor or a performer.
- While 'India' comes from the Indus River, the Sanskrit name भारत is entirely unrelated to any river or any word for 'water'.
Examples in context
- भारतदेशस्य राजधानी नवदेहली अस्ति।The capital of India is New Delhi.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the form भारत to indicate the capital of a country.Tatoeba #3632538 by taro, translation #487564 by minshirui
- वयं भारतं प्रति गच्छामः।vayaṃ bhārataṃ prati gacchāmaḥ.We are going towards India.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ishaan and Kavya are talking about their homeland.
- इशान Ishanकाव्या, तव प्रियं राष्ट्रं किम्?kāvyā, tava priyaṃ rāṣṭraṃ kim?Kavya, which is your favorite country?
- काव्या Kavyaमम प्रियं राष्ट्रं भारतम् अस्ति।mama priyaṃ rāṣṭraṃ bhāratam asti.My favorite country is India.
- इशान Ishanभारतं वास्तवं सुन्दरं राष्ट्रम् अस्ति।bhārataṃ vāstavaṃ sundaraṃ rāṣṭram asti.India is indeed a beautiful country.
- काव्या Kavyaआम्, अहं तत्रैव वसामि।ām, ahaṃ tatraiva vasāmi.Yes, I live right there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “india” translations and entries भारत, भारतवर्ष, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries भारत, भारतवर्ष, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
