महीना
mahīnā/mə.ɦiː.nɑː/masculine
The Hindi word for 'month' is महीना (mahīnā). Wiktionary also lists मास (mās) and माह (māh).
Meaning: period into which a year is divided (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| महीना | mahīnā | /mə.ɦiː.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मास | mās | /mɑːs/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| माह | māh | /mɑːɦ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मासक | māsak | /mɑː.sək/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The term refers to a period into which a year is divided.
Which one should you use?
महीना is the most common, everyday word for 'month' used in spoken and written Hindi. मास is a more formal or literary term for 'month', often used in religious, astronomical or official contexts. माह is a formal variant of 'month' often used in compound words or poetic contexts. मासक is also a form for 'month'.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of this word are masculine. When followed by a postposition (like 'in' or 'of'), the word महीना changes to महीनों in its oblique plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is mahīnā (syllables: 3).
Did you know?
- In traditional Indian astronomy, the 'month' is divided into two fortnights called पक्ष, specifically the शुक्ल पक्ष of the waxing moon and the कृष्ण पक्ष of the waning moon.
- The everyday word महीना was borrowed from Classical Persian, where it originally referred not just to a 'month' but also to 'monthly pay'.
- The term मास is frequently used in the context of मासिक which describes things that happen monthly, such as a magazine or a menstrual cycle.
Examples in context
- मेरा जन्मदिन अगले महीने है।My birthday is next month.
- वह तीन महीने तक अस्पताल में भर्ती रही।She was admitted to the hospital for three months.
- अगला महीना बहुत व्यस्त रहेगा।agla mahīna bahut vyast rahegā.The next month will be very busy.
- मुझे यह महीना बहुत पसंद आया।mujhe yah mahīna bahut pasand āyā.I liked this month a lot.
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are discussing their vacation plans.
- अमित Amitक्या तुम अगले महीने घूमने चलोगी?kyā tum agle mahīne ghumne calogī?Will you go traveling next month?
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, अमित, मैं ज़रूर चलूँगी।hāṃ, amit, maiṃ zaroor calūṅgī.Yes, Amit, I will definitely go.
- अमित Amitयह महीना बहुत अच्छा रहेगा।yah mahīna bahut acchā rahegā.This month will be very good.
- पूजा Poojaमुझे भी ऐसा ही लगता है।mujhe bhī aisā hī lagtā hai.I feel the same way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “month” translations and entries महीना, मास, माह, मासक, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries महीना, मास, मासक, माह, CC BY-SA 4.0.
