सूकर
sūkara/suː.kɐ.ɾɐ́/
The word for pig in Sanskrit is सूकर (sūkara).
Meaning: mammal of family Suidae (noun)
Which one should you use?
śūkara is a formal alternative that typically refers to a male pig. Additionally, varāha is a formal word for 'pig'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /suː.kɐ.ɾɐ́/ (sūkara).
When do people say it?
The term varāha symbolizes the boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Did you know?
- In Hindu iconography, the varāha form of Lord Vishnu is depicted as a boar who dives into the cosmic ocean to rescue the earth.
- The Sanskrit word सूकर is a very distant relative of the English word 'swine'. They both trace back to the same prehistoric Proto-Indo-European root for 'pig'.
- The Sanskrit word सूकर is related to the Persian word خوک (xuk) through their shared Indo-Iranian ancestry.
Examples in context
- वनतः एकः सूकरः आगच्छति।vanataḥ ekaḥ sūkaraḥ āgacchati.A pig is coming from the forest.
- सूकरः तृणं खादति।sūkaraḥ tṛṇaṃ khādati.The pig eats grass.
- एषः विशालः सूकरः अस्ति।eṣaḥ viśālaḥ sūkaraḥ asti.This is a large pig.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at animals in a small farm.
- आर्यन Aryanपश्य, तत्र एकः सूकरः अस्ति।paśya, tatra ekaḥ sūkaraḥ asti.Look, there is a pig there.
- ईशा Ishaआर्यन, सूकरः किम् करोति?āryana, sūkaraḥ kim karoti?Aryan, what is the pig doing?
- आर्यन Aryanसः खादति।saḥ khādati.It is eating.
- ईशा Ishaअति सुन्दरम्।ati sundaram.Very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pig” translations and entries सूकर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries सूकर, CC BY-SA 4.0.
