बहुत
bahut/bə.ɦʊt̪/
In Hindi, the phrase 'much' is expressed as बहुत (bahut). Wiktionary also lists अधिक (adhik).
Meaning: a large amount of (det)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| बहुत | bahut | /bə.ɦʊt̪/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| अधिक | adhik | /ə.d̪ʱɪk/ (Hindi, Standard) |
बहुत is a common word used to express 'much' or 'a lot'. When placed immediately before an adjective, it functions as 'very', such as in 'very good'.
Which one should you use?
अधिक is more formal than बहुत and is often used in written contexts or to mean 'more' in comparisons.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, which distinguishes between 'much' (uncountable) and 'many' (countable), बहुत can be used for both.
How do you pronounce it?
bahut (/bə.ɦʊt̪/)
Did you know?
- In some dialects, बहुत can be used sarcastically to mean 'not at all' or 'hardly any' depending on the facial expression of the speaker.
- Hindi speakers often use बहुत-बहुत by repeating the word twice to express deep gratitude or intense emphasis, such as in 'thank you very much'.
- The word बहुत is a close relative of the word used in Bengali, 'bohut', and the Gujarati 'bahu', showing how the concept of 'abundance' has traveled across Indian languages.
Examples in context
- मुझे नहीं लगता मैं बहुत बदला हूं।I don't think I've changed so much.This sentence shows how to use बहुत to mean 'so much'.Tatoeba #11370647 by Sorcien, translation #5850551 by CK
- दक्षिण कोरिया उत्तर कोरिया से कहीं अधिक सुंदर है।South Korea is much more beautiful than North Korea.This sentence demonstrates using अधिक to mean 'much more' in a comparison.Tatoeba #12396120 by Saumya, translation #3707688 by ddnktr
- एसी बहुत आवाज़ करता है।The air conditioner makes too much noise.This sentence uses बहुत to express a large amount of noise.Tatoeba #450953 by minshirui, translation #50623 by CK
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aditya and Neha are talking about a party.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या पार्टी में बहुत भीड़ थी?Kya party mein bahut bheed thi?Was there much crowd at the party?
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, वहाँ बहुत लोग थे।Haan, vahan bahut log the.Yes, there were much (many) people there.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या आपने बहुत खाना खाया?Kya aapne bahut khana khaya?Did you eat much food?
- नेहा Nehaनहीं, मैंने बहुत कम खाया।Nahi, maine bahut kam khaya.No, I ate very little.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “much” translations and entries बहुत, अधिक, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अधिक, बहुत, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
