Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| अनुराग | anurāga | /ɐ.nu.ɾɑː.ɡɐ/ (Vedic) /ɐ.n̪u.ɾɑː.ɡɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| प्रेमन् | preman | /pɾɐi̯.mɐ́n/ (Vedic) /pɾeː.mɐn̪/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine, neuter |
अनुराग (anurāga) refers to emotional attachment or deep affection. Sanskrit has several other words for love. प्रेम (Prem) is an intense, genuine and unconditional love. प्रीति (Preeti) means fondness or deep attachment. काम (Kama) covers love, desire and sensual pleasure.
What does it mean word for word?
anurāga is made of the prefix anu, meaning after or along and rāga, meaning color or passion. Literally it suggests a passion that follows or clings to something.
Which one should you use?
anurāga often implies attachment, passion or a coloring of the mind, while preman is a more general word for affection or love. Kama leans toward desire, and Preeti toward fondness.
How does it change in a sentence?
anurāga is masculine. preman can be masculine or neuter. In its oblique cases the final n of preman changes, as in the genitive premasya.
How do you pronounce it?
anurāga has four syllables and is pronounced /ɐ.nu.ɾɑː.ɡɐ/, with a long a in the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In traditional Indian thought, the 'flavours' of love are categorized as rasas, meaning 'tastes' or 'juices', suggesting that love is something the soul tastes rather than just feels.
- The word राग (rāga), found within अनुराग, is the same term used in Indian classical music to describe a melodic framework that evokes specific emotional moods.
- While प्रेम (prema) is often used for romantic love today, in spiritual Sanskrit texts it refers to the highest form of love for the divine, where the ego completely disappears.
Examples in context
- पिता पुत्रे प्रेम करोति।The father loves [lit. does love] his son.प्रेम with the verb करोति literally means does love, a common way to say loves.
- तस्य मनसि मम प्रति अनुरागः अस्ति।tasya manasi mama prati Anurāgaḥ asti.He has affection for me in his heart.
Example conversation
Kavya and Aditya are discussing their feelings for a shared hobby.
- काव्या Kavyaकिम् भवतः संगीतं प्रति अनुरागः अस्ति?kim bhavataḥ saṅgītaṃ prati anurāgaḥ asti?Do you have a love for music?
- आदित्य Adityaआम्, मम अनुरागः अतीव गभीरः अस्ति।ām, mama anurāgaḥ atīva gabhīraḥ asti.Yes, my love is very deep.
- काव्या Kavyaएतत् श्रुत्वा अहं प्रसन्ना अस्मि।etat śrutvā ahaṃ prasannā asmi.I am happy to hear that.
- आदित्य Adityaधन्यवादः, काव्या।dhanyavādaḥ, kāvyā.Thank you, Kavya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries अनुराग, प्रेमन्, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
