شیر
śer/ʃeːɾ/masculine
The English word lion is translated into Urdu as شیر (śer). Wiktionary also lists سِن٘گھ (siṅgh) and سِن٘ہ (sĩh).
Meaning: big cat Panthera leo (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| شیر | śer | /ʃeːɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) /ʃiːɾ/ (Standard, Urdu) |
masculine |
| سِن٘گھ | siṅgh | masculine | |
| سِن٘ہ | sĩh | masculine |
The term refers to the big cat Panthera leo.
Which one should you use?
شیر is the standard and most common way to say lion, while سِن٘ہ is an older, literary variant. The forms سِن٘گھ and سِن٘ہ are also recognized forms for lion.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms for lion are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is śer. The IPA is /ʃeːɾ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using شیر, as it is also used colloquially in some contexts to refer to a tiger. Its primary meaning is lion.
Did you know?
- The standard Urdu word شیر was borrowed from Classical Persian.
- In many poetic contexts, calling someone a شیر is a high compliment, implying they are brave or courageous rather than just physically strong.
- In Urdu poetry, the شیر is often used as a symbol of royalty and power, mirroring the 'king of the jungle' trope but often tied to the Persian concept of the 'divine' ruler.
Examples in context
- شیر جنگل کا بادشاہ ہے۔sher jungle ka badshah hai.The lion is the king of the jungle.
- میں نے چڑیا گھر میں ایک شیر دیکھا۔mein ne chidya ghar mein ek sher dekha.I saw a lion in the zoo.
- شیر بہت طاقتور جانور ہے۔sher bohat taqatwar janwar hai.The lion is a very powerful animal.
Example conversation
Ali and Fatima are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- علی Aliدیکھو، وہ شیر ہے!dekho, woh sher hai!Look, that is a lion!
- فاطمہ Fatimaہاں، یہ کتنا بڑا ہے!haan, yeh kitna bara hai!Yes, it is so big!
- علی Aliشیر بہت ڈراؤنا لگتا ہے۔sher bohat darawna lagta hai.The lion looks very scary.
- فاطمہ Fatimaمگر یہ بہت خوبصورت بھی ہے۔magar yeh bohat khubsurat bhi hai.But it is also very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lion” translations and entries شیر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شیر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
