Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्रकाश | prakāś | /pɾə.kɑːʃ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| रौशनी | rauśnī | /ɾɔːʃ.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| उजाला | ujālā | /ʊ.d͡ʒɑː.lɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| उज्ज्वल | ujjval | /ʊd̪.d͡ʒʋəl/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| आलोक | ālok | /ɑː.loːk/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| ज्योति | jyoti | /d͡ʒjoː.t̪iː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| दीप्ति | dīpti | /d̪iːp.t̪iː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
The various terms for 'light' are used in different contexts. प्रकाश refers to light as electromagnetic waves. The adjective उज्ज्वल is used to describe something as being bright or radiant. For the action of illuminating, you can use प्रकाश or उजाला, while प्रज्वलित means to become ignited.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the context and tone. प्रकाश is the standard term for light, whereas ज्योति is used in poetic or religious contexts to describe a flame, a divine light or a glow. If you want to describe something as bright or radiant using an adjective, use उज्ज्वल.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun प्रकाश is masculine, so any adjectives describing it must take the masculine form. The noun रौशनी is feminine, so any adjectives describing it must take the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
prakāś is pronounced /pɾə.kɑːʃ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The common word for 'light', रौशनी, is actually a Persian loanword rather than a native Indo-Aryan word. This distinguishes it from the Sanskrit-derived प्रकाश.
- The word ज्योति is often used as a feminine given name, symbolizing a light that guides others.
- During the festival of Diwali, the 'Festival of Lights', people use a variety of these terms to describe different sources, such as दीपक for a lamp and रोशनी for the overall illumination.
Examples in context
- काला कागज प्रकाश सोखता है।Black paper absorbs light.This sentence is useful for describing how black paper absorbs light using प्रकाश.Tatoeba #4509629 by sabretou, translation #4128581 by gyokota
- इस आलोक मेंin light of thisThis sentence is useful for the phrase 'in light of this' using आलोक.
- सूर्य का प्रकाश बहुत तेज़ है।surya ka prakash bahut tez hai.The light of the sun is very strong.
Example conversation
Priya and Amit are discussing a science project.
- प्रिया Priyaअमित, क्या प्रकाश तरंगों की तरह चलता है?Amit, kyā prakāsh taraṅgōn kī tarah chaltā hai?Amit, does light travel like waves?
- अमित Amitहाँ, यह एक विद्युत चुंबकीय तरंग है।Hā̃, yeh ek vidyut chumbakīy taraṅg hai.Yes, it is an electromagnetic wave.
- प्रिया Priyaयह जानकारी मेरे प्रोजेक्ट के लिए ज़रूरी है।Yeh jānkārī mērē project kē liye zarūrī hai.This information is important for my project.
- अमित Amitमैं तुम्हारी मदद कर सकता हूँ, प्रिया।Main tumhārī madad kar saktā hū̃, Priya.I can help you, Priya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “light” translations and entries प्रकाश, रौशनी, उजाला, उज्ज्वल, आलोक, ज्योति, दीप्ति, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
