زِنْدَگی
zindagīfeminine
The English word 'life' can be translated into Urdu using several terms, most commonly زِنْدَگی (zindagī). Wiktionary also lists جِیوَن (jīvan) and حَیات (hayāt).
Meaning: the state of being alive (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| زِنْدَگی | zindagī | feminine |
| جِیوَن | jīvan | masculine |
| حَیات | hayāt | feminine |
| آرْبَل | ārbal | feminine |
All the provided forms refer to the state of being alive.
Which one should you use?
زِنْدَگی is the most common and versatile word for 'life' used in everyday conversation. حَیات and جِیوَن are more formal or poetic terms. جِیوَن is often used in literature or songs and حَیات is a more formal, literary term.
How does it change in a sentence?
زِنْدَگی and حَیات are grammatically feminine, meaning they require feminine adjectives and verb agreements. جِیوَن is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
zindagī
Did you know?
- Urdu has a specific way of talking about 'the life of a party' that does not use any of these words, instead focusing on the ' رونق' or 'brightness' of the gathering.
- In Urdu poetry, 'life' is frequently personified as a fickle or cruel entity, often paired with the word 'breath' to symbolize the fragility of existence.
- Depending on whether a speaker uses زِنْدَگی or جِیوَن, they may be subtly indicating their preference for Persian-influenced or Sanskrit-influenced vocabulary.
Examples in context
- زندگی حقیقت میں خوبصورت ہے۔Life is truly beautiful.
- میری زندگی میں فلموں کی طرح رومانٹک احساسات ہیں۔There are romantic emotions in my life like in movies.
Example conversation
Sarah and Omar are talking about their future goals.
- سارہ Saraآپ کی زِنْدَگی کا مقصد کیا ہے؟Aap ki zindagi ka maqsad kya hai?What is the purpose of your life?
- عمر Omarمیں لوگوں کی مدد کرنا چاہتا ہوں۔Main logon ki madad karna chahta hoon.I want to help people.
- سارہ Saraیہ بہت نیک سوچ ہے۔Yeh bohat naik soch hai.That is a very noble thought.
- عمر Omarشکریہ، سارہ۔Shukriya, Sarah.Thank you, Sarah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
