Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्राचार्य | prācārya | /pɾɑː.t͡ʃɑːɾ.jᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| प्राचार्या | prācāryā | /pɾɑː.t͡ʃɑːɾ.jɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| मुख्याध्यापक | mukhyādhyāpak | /mʊkʰ.jɑːd̪ʱ.jɑː.pək/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मुख्याध्यापिका | mukhyādhyāpikā | /mʊkʰ.jɑːd̪ʱ.jɑː.pɪ.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
These terms are used to refer to the head administrator of an educational institution.
What does it mean word for word?
The term मुख्याध्यापक is a compound word consisting of mukhya (meaning chief or main) and adhyāpak (meaning teacher or instructor).
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two primary forms depends on the setting: prācārya is often used for the heads of colleges or higher educational institutions, whereas mukhyādhyāpak is more commonly used for school principals.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Hindi uses gendered forms for these titles. The masculine form प्राचार्य becomes the feminine प्राचार्या to refer to a female principal. Similarly, the masculine मुख्याध्यापक changes to the feminine मुख्याध्यापिका to refer to a female principal.
How do you pronounce it?
The word prācārya is pronounced /pɾɑː.tʃɑːɾ.jᵊ/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many Indian schools, students and teachers will simply use the English word 'Principal' instead of प्राचार्य or मुख्याध्यापक even while speaking Hindi.
- The word prācārya is actually a Sanskrit loanword that carries a sense of ancient academic authority, much like how 'scholar' might imply certain weight in English.
- While मुख्याध्यापक literally means 'chief teacher', it describes a role that in many Indian systems is purely administrative rather than instructional.
Examples in context
- आज मैंने प्राचार्य से बात की।Today, I talked to the principal.
- हमें मुख्याध्यापक से मिलना होगा।We need to meet the principal.
- आज प्रिंसिपल जी ने एक शानदार संबोधन दिया।Today, the principal gave an excellent speech.
- हमारे स्कूल के प्राचार्य बहुत दयालु हैं।hamare school ke prāchārya bahut dayālu hain.Our school's principal is very kind.
- क्या आपने प्राचार्य से बात की?kyā āpne prāchārya se bāt kī?Did you speak with the principal?
- प्राचार्य कार्यालय में बैठे हैं।prāchārya kāryālay meñ baiṭhe haiñ.The principal is sitting in the office.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a meeting at school.
- अंजलि Anjaliआदित्य, क्या प्राचार्य ने तुम्हें बुलाया है?Āditya, kyā prāchārya ne tumhein bulāyā hai?Aditya, has the principal called you?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, मुझे उनके दफ्तर जाना है।Hān, mujhe unke daftar jānā hai.Yes, I have to go to his office.
- अंजलि Anjaliक्या कोई समस्या है?Kyā koī samasyā hai?Is there some problem?
- आदित्य Adityaनहीं, बस एक फॉर्म जमा करना है।Nahīn, bas ek form jamā karnā hai.No, I just have to submit a form.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “principal” translations and entries प्राचार्य, प्राचार्या, मुख्याध्यापक, मुख्याध्यापिका, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
