पत्र
patra/pət̪.ɾᵊ/masculine
The Hindi word for letter is पत्र (patra). Wiktionary also lists चिट्ठी (ciṭṭhī) and लेख (lekh).
Meaning: written message (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| पत्र | patra | /pət̪.ɾᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| चिट्ठी | ciṭṭhī | /t͡ʃɪʈ.ʈʰiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| लेख | lekh | /leːkʰ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The terms used for a written message include पत्र, चिट्ठी and लेख.
Which one should you use?
पत्र is the formal or literary term for a letter, whereas चिट्ठी is more common in everyday speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
पत्र is a masculine noun, meaning any accompanying adjectives or verbs must agree with its masculine gender. चिट्ठी is a feminine noun, so any accompanying adjectives or verbs must agree with its feminine gender.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pət̪.ɾᵊ/ (patra).
Did you know?
- The word पत्र comes from a Sanskrit word meaning 'leaf'. This reflects an ancient time when messages were inscribed on dried palm leaves before paper became common.
- While पत्र is the formal term, you might see पत्रकार (patrakar) used to describe a journalist.
- In traditional Indian bureaucracy, a पत्र is not just a letter but can refer to a formal 'decree' or 'official notification' issued by a government authority.
Examples in context
- वो उसकी मां को चिट्ठी लिख रहा है।He's writing his mother a letter.This sentence shows a person writing a चिट्ठी to their mother.Tatoeba #11370635 by Sorcien, translation #4284630 by seltsameseeds
- मुझे पत्र लिखने का अवकाश नहीं मिला।I could not get time to write a letter.This sentence describes not having the time to write a पत्र.
- यह पत्र किसने लिखा?Who wrote this letter?This sentence asks who wrote a specific पत्र.Tatoeba #2021615 by RadiumCat, translation #276206 by CK
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are discussing a piece of mail they received.
- अमित Amitपूजा, क्या तुमने यह पत्र पढ़ा?Puja, kya tumne yeh patra padha?Puja, did you read this letter?
- पूजा Poojaनहीं, यह पत्र किसके लिए है?Nahi, yeh patra kiske liye hai?No, who is this letter for?
- अमित Amitयह पत्र मेरे भाई ने भेजा है।Yeh patra mere bhai ne bheja hai.This letter was sent by my brother.
- पूजा Poojaबहुत अच्छा, इसे जल्दी खोलो।Bahut achha, ise jaldi kholo.Very good, open it quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “letter” translations and entries पत्र, चिट्ठी, लेख, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चिट्ठी, पत्र, लेख, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
