रानी
rānī/ɾɑː.niː/feminine
The Hindi word for queen is रानी (rānī). Wiktionary also lists बेगम (begam) and मलिका (malikā).
Meaning: female monarch (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| रानी | rānī | /ɾɑː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| बेगम | begam | /beː.ɡəm/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| मलिका | malikā | /mə.lɪ.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| राणी | rāṇī | feminine | |
| राज्ञी | rājñī | feminine | |
| महारानी | mahārānī | /mə.ɦɑː.ɾɑː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
Which one should you use?
रानी is the standard word for queen. For an empress or a high-ranking queen, use महारानी. The term बेगम is specifically used to refer to a queen or high-ranking lady in a Muslim or Urdu-influenced context. The form राज्ञी is a highly formal, Sanskritized version of queen often used in literature or historical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
रानी is a feminine noun and does not change its form to indicate plurality. Plurality is indicated by context or adding particles.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of रानी is /ɾɑː.niː/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The Hindi word रानी is a distant relative of the French word 'reine'. Both words share a common ancestor from the Proto-Indo-European language spoken thousands of years ago.
- In modern colloquial Hindi, रानी is often used as a term of endearment for a daughter or a beloved woman, regardless of her social rank.
- While रानी is the most common term, using मलिका instead signals a specific cultural connection to Arabic-speaking traditions.
Examples in context
- राजा-रानी आ रहे हैं।The king and queen are coming.This sentence shows how to use रानी when referring to a king and queen.Tatoeba #3783674 by sabretou, translation #1148295 by cntrational
- महारानी विक्टोरियाQueen VictoriaThis sentence shows the use of महारानी when referring to Queen Victoria.
- वह शानदार रानी है।She is a splendid queen.
- भारतीय इतिहास में कई प्रसिद्ध रानियाँ रही हैं।There have been many famous queens in Indian history.
- उसकी माँ महारानी है।Her mother is a queen.
- मैंने महारानी के रूप में उसे देखा।I saw her as a queen.
- रानी बहुत दयालु थी।rani bahut dayalu thi.The queen was very kind.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Aditya are talking about a historical story.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या कहानी में कोई रानी थी?kya kahani mein koi rani thi?Was there a queen in the story?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, एक बहुत बहादुर रानी थी।haan, ek bahut bahadur rani thi.Yes, there was a very brave queen.
- प्रिया Priyaवह रानी कैसी दिखती थी?vah rani kaisi dikhti thi?How did the queen look?
- आदित्य Adityaवह बहुत सुंदर थी।vah bahut sundar thi.She was very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queen” translations and entries रानी, बेगम, मलिका, महारानी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries बेगम, मलिका, रानी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
