बुद्धिमान
buddhimān/bʊd̪.d̪ʱɪ.mɑːn/
The English word 'intelligent' is translated into Hindi as बुद्धिमान (buddhimān). Wiktionary also lists चतुर (catur) and सयाना (sayānā).
Meaning: of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| बुद्धिमान | buddhimān | /bʊd̪.d̪ʱɪ.mɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| चतुर | catur | /t͡ʃə.t̪ʊɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| सयाना | sayānā | /sə.jɑː.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The term is used to describe someone with high or especially quick cognitive capacity or brightness.
Which one should you use?
While बुद्धिमान refers to high cognitive capacity or wisdom, चतुर often implies being 'clever' or 'cunning' in a practical or sometimes shrewd sense. Additionally, सयाना is used to describe someone who is 'street-smart' or has gained practical experience, rather than purely academic intelligence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective बुद्धिमान is an invariant adjective in terms of gender. It does not change its ending to match a feminine subject.
How do you pronounce it?
buddhimān
Did you know?
- In some regional contexts, calling a child सयाना can be used ironically to tease them for acting older than their years or being 'too precocious'.
- The suffix '-mān' in बुद्धिमान is a common Sanskrit-derived way to turn a noun into an adjective, similar to how '-ful' works in English to create words like 'skillful'.
Examples in context
- उसकी चतुरता ने हमें सभी को हंसा दिया।His cleverness made everyone laugh.
- वह एक बुद्धिमान लड़का है।vah ek buddhiman laṛkā hai.He is an intelligent boy.
- वह बहुत बुद्धिमान महिला है।vah bahut buddhiman mahilā hai.She is a very intelligent woman.
- मेरा छोटा भाई बहुत बुद्धिमान है।merā choṭā bhāī bahut buddhiman hai.My younger brother is very intelligent.
Example conversation
Anjali and Amit are discussing a classmate.
- अंजलि Anjaliक्या अमित बुद्धिमान है?kyā amit buddhiman hai?Is Amit intelligent?
- अमित Amitहाँ, वह बहुत बुद्धिमान है।hā̃, vah bahut buddhiman hai.Yes, he is very intelligent.
- अंजलि Anjaliवह पढ़ाई में भी अच्छा है।vah paṛhāī meṃ bhī acchā hai.He is good at studies too.
- अमित Amitअंजलि, वह वाकई में बहुत होशियार है।anjali, vah vāḳī meṃ bahut hoshiyār hai.Anjali, he really is very bright.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “intelligent” translations and entries बुद्धिमान, चतुर, सयाना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चतुर, बुद्धिमान, सयाना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
