Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| नर | nara | /nɐ́.ɾɐ/ (Vedic) /n̪ɐ.ɾɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| वृषन् | vṛṣan | /ʋŕ̩.ʂɐn/ (Vedic) /ʋr̩.ʂɐn̪/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| पुरुष | puruṣa | /pú.ɾu.ʂɐ/ (Vedic) /pu.ɾu.ʂɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
These terms all refer to an adult male human, but they are used in different contexts ranging from general everyday speech to deep philosophical discussions.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on their context and nuance. नर is the most common way to refer to a human male in general contexts. पुरुष signifies a human being while focusing more on the male aspect of man and often carries a more formal, philosophical or cosmic connotation of 'the person' or 'the self'. वृषन् is an archaic term that can also relate to the concept of a bull or strength.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form नर is the nominative singular case, which is used when the man is the subject of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of नर is /n̪ɐ.ɾɐ/ with two syllables.
Did you know?
- The term नर shares a common ancestor with the Ancient Greek word ἀνήρ, which also means 'man'.
- The word वृषन् shares a deep root with the word for 'bull', reflecting an ancient association between manhood and bovine strength.
Examples in context
- प्रथममेव दृष्टो मयैष नर:।I have already seen this man.This sentence is useful for seeing the form नर used as the subject.Tatoeba #4171407 by richke, translation #4171411 by richke
- जलमश्वान्नरो नयति।The man takes the horses to the water.This sentence shows the form नर in a context involving taking horses to water.Tatoeba #4159671 by richke, translation #4159672 by richke
- राजा महान् पुरुषः आसीत्।The king was a great man.
- मनुष्यः वाहनं प्राप्तवान्।The man received a vehicle.
Example conversation
Aditya and Mira are describing a person they saw.
- आदित्य Adityaकिं त्वं तं नरं पश्यसि?kiṃ tvaṃ taṃ naraṃ paśyasi?Do you see that man?
- मीरा Miraआम्, अहं तं पश्यामि।ām, ahaṃ taṃ paśyāmi.Yes, I see him.
- आदित्य Adityaसः नरः अतिबलवान् अस्ति।saḥ naraḥ atibalavān asti.That man is very strong.
- मीरा Miraसत्यम्, सः बलवान् अस्ति।satyam, saḥ balavān asti.True, he is strong.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries नर, वृषन्, पुरुष, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries नर, पुरुष, वृषन्, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
