Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| आदर | ādar | /ɑː.d̪əɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| सम्मान | sammān | /səm.mɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
Both आदर and सम्मान are masculine nouns used to express admiration for a person or entity due to perceived merit. While they both translate to respect, they are used in slightly different contexts.
Which one should you use?
आदर is the more common term used for general respect, such as the respect shown to elders or teachers in daily life. In contrast, सम्मान is used in more formal contexts, often relating to official honors, awards or public recognition.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn these nouns into the verb 'to respect', you add the auxiliary verb करना (to do). For example, you can say सम्मान करना or आदर करना. Additionally, the idiomatic phrase आदर देना, which literally means 'to give respect', is a common way to say 'to show respect' to someone.
How do you pronounce it?
The word आदर is pronounced /ɑː.d̪əɾ/. It has two syllables: ā-dar.
Did you know?
- In many Indian cultures, respect is not just verbal but physical. To show आदर, one might perform चरण स्पर्श, which involves touching the feet of the person being respected.
- In Hindi, respect is often expressed through a grammatical change rather than just a word. When speaking to someone you respect, you must use the plural form of 'you', आप, instead of the singular तुम or तू.
- The word आदर is a learned borrowing from Sanskrit ādara, which originally carried connotations of 'shaking' or 'trembling' with emotion or modesty.
Examples in context
- आपकी आदर्शता का मैं सम्मान करता हूँ।I respect your ideals.
- मेरे मन में उनके लिए बहुत आदर है।Mere man mein unke liye bahut aadar hai.I have a lot of respect for him.
- हमें बड़ों के प्रति आदर रखना चाहिए।Hamein badon ke prati aadar rakhna chahiye.We should have respect towards elders.
- उनका आदर करना मेरा कर्तव्य है।Unka aadar karna mera kartavya hai.It is my duty to respect him.
Example conversation
Puja and Aditya are talking about a teacher.
- पूजा Poojaआदित्य, क्या तुम हमारे नए शिक्षक को जानते हो?Aditya, kya tum hamare naye shikshak ko jaante ho?Aditya, do you know our new teacher?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, वह बहुत अनुभवी और विद्वान हैं।Haan, vah bahut anubhavī aur vidvaan hain.Yes, he is very experienced and learned.
- पूजा Poojaउनके पढ़ाने के तरीके के लिए मेरा आदर बढ़ गया है।Unke padhaane ke tareeke ke liye mera aadar badh gaya hai.My respect for his teaching style has increased.
- आदित्य Adityaमैं तुम्हारी बात से पूरी तरह सहमत हूँ।Main tumhari baat se poori tarah sahmat hoon.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “respect” translations and entries आदर, सम्मान, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आदर, सम्मान, CC BY-SA 4.0.
