चावल
cāval/t͡ʃɑː.ʋəl/masculine
चावल (cāval) is the Hindi word for rice. Wiktionary also lists धान (dhān) and भात (bhāt).
Meaning: seeds used as food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| चावल | cāval | /t͡ʃɑː.ʋəl/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| धान | dhān | /d̪ʱɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| भात | bhāt | /bʱɑːt̪/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| बिरयानी | biryānī | /bɪɾ.jɑː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| तंडुल | taṇḍul | masculine | |
| बिरंज | birañj | masculine |
The term for rice in Hindi depends heavily on whether you are referring to the raw grain, the unhusked crop, the cooked meal or using a formal literary term.
Which one should you use?
While चावल refers to the edible grain, use धान specifically for unhusked rice or paddy in a field. To refer to cooked, boiled rice as a meal component, use भात instead of the raw grain. For formal, literary or religious contexts, the Sanskrit-derived term तंडुल is used rather than common conversational terms. Additionally, बिरयानी is a feminine noun and बिरंज is another masculine form.
How does it change in a sentence?
चावल is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
cāval (IPA: /tʃɑː.ʋəl/)
Did you know?
- The word चावल likely entered Hindi from a Dravidian language, rather than originating from the Indo-Aryan root common to most Hindi vocabulary.
- In many Indian cultures, भात is not just a food item but is used in idioms to describe basic sustenance or a simple, humble life.
Examples in context
- हम चावल खाते हैं।We eat rice.This sentence demonstrates the use of चावल for eating.Tatoeba #3937207 by sabretou, translation #3127597 by PERCE_NEIGE
- टॉम ने चावल बनाया।Tom made rice.This sentence shows how to use चावल when describing the making of rice.Tatoeba #3617020 by sabretou, translation #3171237 by CK
- मैं चावल खा रहा हूँ।I am eating rice.This sentence uses चावल to describe the continuous action of eating rice.Tatoeba #3937228 by sabretou, translation #334464 by guyviet
- कृपया मुझे थोड़ा चावल दीजिए।Please give me some rice.
- क्या तुमने चावल खाया?Did you eat rice?
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Amit are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- प्रिया Priyaआज रात खाने में क्या है?Aaj raat khaane mein kya hai?What is for dinner tonight?
- अमित Amitमैंने दाल और चावल बनाया है।Maine daal aur chaaval banaaya hai.I have made lentils and rice.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या हमारे पास और चावल हैं?Kya hamaare paas aur chaaval hain?Do we have more rice?
- अमित Amitहाँ, रसोई में एक पैकेट है।Haan, rasoi mein ek packet hai.Yes, there is one packet in the kitchen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rice” translations and entries चावल, धान, भात, बिरयानी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चावल, धान, बिरयानी, भात, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
