कवि
kavi/kə.ʋiː/masculine
The English word "poet" is translated into Hindi as कवि (kavi). Wiktionary also lists कवयित्री (kavyitrī) and शायर (śāyar).
Meaning: person who writes poems (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| कवि | kavi | /kə.ʋiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| कवयित्री | kavyitrī | /kəʋ.jɪt̪.ɾiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| शायर | śāyar | /ʃɑː.jəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The standard term for a person who writes poems is कवि. In specific literary contexts, you might encounter गद्य कवि to refer to a "prose poet" or the broader term साहित्यकार which encompasses both the poet and writer aspects.
Which one should you use?
कवि is of Sanskrit origin and is typically used in formal, literary or academic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of कवि is कवयित्री, which involves a specific morphological change rather than just adding a feminine suffix.
How do you pronounce it?
कवि is pronounced /kə.ʋiː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit root of कवि originally meant 'one who sees' or 'one who possesses vision', implying that a poet is a person with deep insight or foresight.
- In the tradition of शायरी, a poet often presents their work in a मुशायरा, a public poetic symposium where the audience actively cheers or groans at specific lines.
- The word शायर is not native to Hindi but comes from Persian and Arabic. While it is used widely in Hindi, it carries a distinctively Urdu-influenced, soulful, and romantic aesthetic compared to the more formal कवि.
Examples in context
- कवी कविता लिखता है।The poet writes poems.This sentence is useful for describing what a poet does using कवि.Tatoeba #10047537 by sabretou, translation #3950405 by sabretou
- जो न देखे रवि वह देखे कवि।The poet sees what the sun does not.This sentence uses कवि in a poetic comparison.Tatoeba #2583027 by sabretou, translation #2563022 by sabretou
- इंग्लैंड में सबसे महान कवि कौन है?Who is the greatest poet in England?This sentence uses कवि to ask about a person's status in England.Tatoeba #3962994 by sabretou, translation #66611 by CN
- वह एक मशहूर कवि है।He is a famous poet.
- वह एक बेहतरीन शायर है।He is an exceptional poet.
- उन्हें गद्य कवि के रूप में मान्यता प्राप्त हुई।He was recognized as a prose poet.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Neha are talking about a book at a cafe.
- नेहा Nehaक्या आप इस कवि को जानते हैं?Kya aap is kavi ko jaante hain?Do you know this poet?
- अमित Amitहाँ, वह एक बहुत अच्छे कवि हैं।Haan, vah ek bahut achhe kavi hain.Yes, he is a very good poet.
- नेहा Nehaउनकी कविताएँ बहुत प्रसिद्ध हैं।Unki kavitaen bahut prasiddh hain.His poems are very famous.
- अमित Amitमुझे भी उनका काम पसंद है।Mujhe bhi unka kaam pasand hai.I also like his work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poet” translations and entries कवि, कवयित्री, शायर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कवयित्री, कवि, शायर, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
