राजा
rājā/ɾɑː.d͡ʒɑː/masculine
In Hindi, the English word 'king' is translated as राजा (rājā). Wiktionary also lists राणा (rāṇā) and नृप (nŕp).
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| राजा | rājā | /ɾɑː.d͡ʒɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| राणा | rāṇā | /ɾɑː.ɳɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| नृप | nŕp | masculine | |
| राजन् | rājan | masculine | |
| बादशाह | bādśāh | /bɑːd̪.ʃɑːɦ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मलिक | malik | masculine |
The term is used to refer to a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Which one should you use?
राजा is the general term for a king. In contrast, बादशाह specifically refers to a monarch in a Persian or Islamic context, often implying an emperor. The form राजन् is also a masculine term for a king. राणा is another masculine form used for a king.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Rajasthan, rao can be observed as a colloquial way to refer to kings.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used with postpositions (like 'of' or 'to'), the masculine noun राजा changes to its oblique form राजाओं in the plural. The feminine counterpart to the masculine राजा is रानी.
How do you pronounce it?
The word राजा is pronounced as /ɾɑː.dʒɑː/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- In modern India, राजा is often used as a term of endearment for a small child or a beloved partner, similar to calling someone 'prince' or 'dear'.
- The Hindi word राजा shares a common ancient ancestor with the English word 'regal' and the Latin word 'rex'.
- Hindi has multiple words for king, such as राजा and नृप, because the language draws from both popular vernacular and high literary Sanskrit.
Examples in context
- शेर जंगल का राजा है।The lion is the king of the jungle.This sentence shows how to identify a lion as the king of the jungle using राजा.Tatoeba #2788643 by Vikas, translation #29846 by CM
- यथा राजा तथा प्रजा।As is the king, so are his subjects.This sentence uses a proverb about the relationship between a king and his subjects using राजा.
- राजा तो नंगा है!The king is naked!This sentence uses राजा to state that a king is naked.Tatoeba #3666698 by sabretou, translation #2627012 by AlanF_US
- कृपया राजा से मिलने का समय बुक करें।Please book an appointment to meet the king.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical movie.
- अंजलि Anjaliउस फिल्म में राजा बहुत शक्तिशाली था।Us film mein raja bahut shaktishali tha.The king in that film was very powerful.
- विकास Vikasहाँ, वह एक महान राजा था।Haan, vah ek mahan raja tha.Yes, he was a great king.
- अंजलि Anjaliक्या तुम्हें उसका महल पसंद आया?Kya tumhe uska mahal pasand aaya?Did you like his palace?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, राजा का महल बहुत सुंदर था।Haan, raja ka mahal bahut sundar tha.Yes, the king's palace was very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries राजा, राणा, बादशाह, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries राजा, राणा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
