सिंह
siṃha/sin.ɦɐ́/masculine
In Sanskrit, the English word "lion" can be translated as सिंह (siṃha), केसरी or हरि.
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| सिंह | siṃha | /sin.ɦɐ́/ /sĩ.ɦɐ́/ |
masculine |
| केसरी | kesarī | masculine | |
| हरि | hari | /ɦɐ́.ɾi/ (Vedic) /ɦɐ.ɾi/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
All provided forms refer to the big cat Panthera leo. सिंह is the standard term for a lion. केसरी is often used in poetic contexts to emphasize the lion's mane. हरि can mean lion, though it is more commonly used to mean 'yellow', 'golden' or 'one who steals/takes away'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word केसरी (kesarī) literally refers to one with a mane (from the root for saffron/yellow/mane).
Which one should you use?
While सिंह (siṃha) is the standard term for a lion, केसरी (kesarī) is often used in poetic contexts to emphasize the lion's mane.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms, केसरी, सिंह and हरि, are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of सिंह is siṃha (/sin.ɦɐ́/). It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word हरि can simultaneously mean 'lion', 'yellow' and 'one who steals', allowing poets to create puns based on these three distinct meanings.
- Some scholars think सिंह may have been borrowed from a non-Indo-European language.
- The Sanskrit word केसरी is etymologically linked to 'saffron' due to the shared association with the color yellow or orange.
Examples in context
- सिंहः वने वसति।siṃhaḥ vane vasati.The lion lives in the forest.
- सिंहः गर्जति।siṃhaḥ garjati.The lion is roaring.
- एषः सिंहः विशालः अस्ति।eṣaḥ siṃhaḥ viśālaḥ asti.This lion is huge.
Example conversation
Mira and Aryan are looking at a picture book about animals.
- मीरा Miraकिं एषः सिंहः अस्ति?kiṃ eṣaḥ siṃhaḥ asti?Is this a lion?
- आर्यन Aryanआम्, एषः सिंहः अस्ति।ām, eṣaḥ siṃhaḥ asti.Yes, it is a lion.
- मीरा Miraसिंहः अतीव सुन्दरः अस्ति।siṃhaḥ atīva sundaraḥ asti.The lion is very beautiful.
- आर्यन Aryanअहम् अपि वने सिंहम् अपश्यम्।aham api vane siṃham apaśyam.I once saw a lion in the forest too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries सिंह, हरि, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries सिंह, हरि, CC BY-SA 4.0.
