बहुत
bahut/bə.ɦʊt̪/
The English word 'many' is translated into Hindi as बहुत (bahut). Wiktionary also lists बहु (bahu) and अधिक (adhik).
Meaning: an indefinite large number of (det)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| बहुत | bahut | /bə.ɦʊt̪/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| बहु | bahu | |
| अधिक | adhik | /ə.d̪ʱɪk/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| ज़्यादा | zyādā | /ˈzjaːd̪a/ /ˈd͡ʒjaːd̪a/ |
These terms are used to describe an indefinite large number of something.
Which one should you use?
बहुत is the most versatile and common way to express 'many', 'much' or 'very' depending on the context. ज़्यादा is frequently used in spoken Hindi to mean 'more' or 'too many/much'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
अधिक is a more formal or literary term for 'many' or 'more' compared to the colloquial बहुत. ज़्यादा is a colloquial option often used to mean 'more' or 'too many/much'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to countable items naturally, you can use the phrase बहुत सारे to mean 'a lot of' or 'many'. When 'many' is followed by a noun, such as in 'many people', you use the specific form बहुत से.
How do you pronounce it?
The word बहुत is pronounced /bə.ɦʊt̪/.
Did you know?
- The colloquial word ज़्यादा did not originate in India but was borrowed from Classical Persian, which in turn took it from Arabic.
- The word बहुत is a descendant of the Sanskrit word बहु, which is also used in modern Hindi to form compound words like 'poly-' in English.
Examples in context
- तू हमेशा ज़्यादा सवाल पूछते है।You always ask too many questions.This sentence uses the form ज़्यादा.Tatoeba #6829730 by aboi, translation #6829624 by CK
- दुनिया भर में बहुत से लोगों को अच्छा पानी उपलब्ध नहीं है।Many people around the world don't have access to good quality water.This sentence uses the form बहुत.Tatoeba #5358618 by dfordivam, translation #5358560 by dfordivam
- टॉम के बहुत सारे दुशमन हैं।Tom has many enemies.Tatoeba #13688864 by sabretou, translation #5085420 by Airvian
- उसने बहुत सारी किताबें ख़रीदी।He bought many books.
- वहाँ कई उच्च शिक्षा संस्थान हैं।There are many higher education institutes there.
- वहाँ पार्टी में बहुत सारे लोग थे।There were many people at the party.
- भारत में बहुत ज्यादा गायें हैं।There are a lot of cows in India.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Amit are talking about a book.
- नेहा Nehaइस किताब में बहुत कहानियाँ हैं।is kitaab mein bahut kahaaniyaan hain.There are many stories in this book.
- अमित Amitक्या वे सब दिलचस्प हैं?kya ve sab dilchasp hain?Are they all interesting?
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, मुझे बहुत पसंद आईं।haan, mujhe bahut pasand aayeen.Yes, I liked many of them.
- अमित Amitफिर मैं भी इसे पढ़ूँगा।phir main bhi ise padhoonga.Then I will read it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “many” translations and entries बहुत, अधिक, ज़्यादा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अधिक, ज़्यादा, बहुत, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
