बंदर m or बन्दर
bandarmasculine
The Hindi word for monkey is बंदर m or बन्दर (bandar). Wiktionary also lists वानर (vānar) and कपि (kapi).
Meaning: primate (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| बंदर m or बन्दर | bandar | masculine | |
| वानर | vānar | /ʋɑː.nəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| कपि | kapi | /kə.piː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मर्कट | markaṭ | /məɾ.kəʈ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| बानर | bānar | masculine |
In certain parts of India, the specific term बंदरिया is used to refer to a female monkey.
Which one should you use?
While बंदर is the standard term for a monkey, वानर is a more formal or literary term. Additionally, वानर is specifically associated with the monkey-god Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Other masculine forms include कपि, मर्कट and बानर.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term बंदरिया is used to specify female monkeys in some parts of India.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms of the word for monkey are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
bandar
When do people say it?
The term वानर holds significant cultural importance as it is specifically associated with the monkey-god Hanuman in Hindu mythology.
Did you know?
- The word बंदर for 'port' is borrowed from Persian, whereas the बंदर for 'monkey' evolved from Sanskrit.
- In colloquial Hindi, calling someone a बंदर is a common way to describe a mischievous or naughty child, similar to 'monkey' in English.
Example sentences for Hindi are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations and entries वानर, कपि, मर्कट, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कपि, बंदर, मर्कट, वानर, CC BY-SA 4.0.
