खुद
khud/xʊd̪/
The English phrase 'myself' is translated into Hindi as खुद (khud).
Unlike the English 'myself', which is strictly tied to the first person, खुद can refer to any person (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) depending on the subject of the sentence.
Meaning: me, reflexive form of me (pron)
Which one should you use?
To create an emphatic version of 'myself' (such as 'I myself did it'), you can add the particle ही after खुद to form खुद ही.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, the phrase खुद को is used to say 'myself.'
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /xʊd̪/ (khud).
Did you know?
- The word खुद is actually a loanword from Persian. Its presence in Hindi reflects the centuries of cultural and linguistic blending during the Mughal Empire.
- In many Indian languages, including Hindi, reflexive pronouns like खुद are often omitted entirely if the context makes it clear that the subject is acting upon themselves.
- While खुद is common, Hindi also uses the word अपने आप to mean 'myself'. This latter phrase is often used when the action is spontaneous or happens automatically, rather than as a conscious choice.
Examples in context
- मैंने खुद से गिटार बजाना सीख लिया है।I've taught myself to play the guitar.This sentence demonstrates the use of खुद to express teaching oneself.Tatoeba #3216301 by anubhav93, translation #253368 by CK
- मैं अक्ल का मारा था जो तुम्हें वह समझाने की कोशिश करने बैठा जिसकी मुझे खुद ही समझ नहीं थी।I was a fool to have tried explaining something to you that I don't understand myself.This sentence shows how खुद is used to emphasize that the speaker does not understand something themselves.Tatoeba #465586 by minshirui, translation #3943837 by sabretou
- मैं खुद यह काम करूँगा।main khud yeh kaam karoonga.I will do this work myself.
Example conversation
Vikas and Pooja are talking about a painting.
- विकास Vikasयह पेंटिंग मैंने खुद बनाई है।Yeh painting maine khud banayi hai.I made this painting myself.
- पूजा Poojaयह तो बहुत सुंदर है!Yeh toh bahut sundar hai!This is very beautiful!
- विकास Vikasशुक्रिया, मुझे कला पसंद है।Shukriya, mujhe kala pasand hai.Thanks, I love art.
- पूजा Poojaतुम बहुत प्रतिभाशाली हो, विकास।Tum bahut pratibhashali ho, Vikas.You are very talented, Vikas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry खुद, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
