Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| दाहिना | dāhinā | /d̪ɑː.ɦɪ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| दाएँ | dāẽ | /d̪ɑː.ẽː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| दायाँ | dāyā̃ | /d̪ɑː.jɑ̃ː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
Use these words for the right side, such as your right hand, right foot or the right side of a road. If you mean right as in correct or okay, Hindi uses different words, such as Theek for okay and Sahi baat hai for that's right.
Which one should you use?
दाहिना is used as an adjective before a noun, such as right hand or right foot. दायाँ is a common variant of the same adjective for things on the right side. दाएँ (dāẽ) works as an adverb, meaning to the right or on the right, for directions and position.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
These adjectives agree with the noun. Before a feminine noun दायाँ becomes दाईं, as in दाईं ओर, the right side. The opposite of all of them is बायाँ, which means left.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as dāhinā, IPA /d̪ɑː.ɦɪ.nɑː/, in three syllables. The d is dental, with the tongue against the upper teeth and the h is voiced and breathy.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use दाहिना to mean correct. It only means the direction.
Did you know?
- Because दाहिना is associated with purity and correctness in cultural rituals, it is often viewed as the auspicious side.
- The Hindi word दाहिना shares a common ancient ancestor with the Latin word 'dexter', which is where English gets the word 'dexterity'.
Examples in context
- उस घर की दाईं ओर पर क्या है?What is to the right side of the house?दाईं ओर means the right side and uses the feminine form because ओर is feminine.
- मेरा दाहिना पैर सो गया है।My right foot is sleeping.दाहिना पैर means right foot, the adjective placed before the body part.Tatoeba #476334 by minshirui, translation #27054 by CK
Example conversation
Anjali is giving Amit directions to a room.
- अंजलि Anjaliयहाँ से दाहिना मोड़ लो।Yahan se dahina mod lo.Take a right turn from here.
- अमित Amitठीक है, क्या कमरा पास है?Thik hai, kya kamra paas hai?Okay, is the room nearby?
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, वह बस सामने है।Haan, vah bas samne hai.Yes, it is just ahead.
- अमित Amitधन्यवाद, अंजलि।Dhanyavad, Anjali.Thank you, Anjali.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “right” translations and entries दाहिना, दाएँ, दायाँ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries दाएँ, दायाँ, दाहिना, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
