दाहिना
dāhinā/d̪ɑː.ɦɪ.nɑː/
The Hindi word for right, the direction opposite of left, is दाहिना (dāhinā). दायाँ (dāyā̃) means the same and is very common in general speech. If unsure, use दाहिना. Wiktionary also lists दाएँ (dāẽ).
Meaning: of direction, opposite of left (adj)
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 of something, such as a hand, a foot, a road or a building. They are the words to use when giving or following directions.
Which one should you use?
दाहिना and दायाँ both mean right, but दाहिना is often perceived as slightly more formal or anatomical, whereas दायाँ is very common in general speech. दाएँ (dāẽ) is used as an adverb to show direction or movement towards the right.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
दाहिना and दायाँ are adjectives and agree with the noun they describe. With a feminine noun दायाँ becomes दाईं, as in दाईं ओर, the right side. दाएँ as an adverb does not need a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as dāhinā, IPA /d̪ɑː.ɦɪ.nɑː/, in three syllables. The d is dental, made with the tongue against the upper teeth.
Did you know?
- In many traditional Indian contexts, the 'right' side is associated with purity and auspiciousness, making it the preferred hand for eating and greeting.
- The Hindi word दाहिना shares a common ancient ancestor with the Latin word 'dexter', which is where English gets the word 'dexterity'.
- While दाहिना describes the right side, the related Sanskrit root dakṣiṇa also evolved to mean 'skilled' or 'competent' in various Indian languages.
Examples in context
- उस घर की दाईं ओर पर क्या है?What is to the right side of the house?दाईं ओर is the right side, with the feminine form to match ओर.
- मेरा दाहिना पैर सो गया है।My right foot is sleeping.दाहिना पैर means right foot, a typical body part use.Tatoeba #476334 by minshirui, translation #27054 by CK
- दाहिना हाथ ऊपर करो।dahina haath oopar karo.Raise your right hand.
Example conversation
Amit and Neha are walking in a park.
- अमित Amitनेहा, क्या तुम्हें दाहिना रास्ता दिख रहा है?Neha, kya tumhe dahina raasta dikh raha hai?Neha, can you see the right path?
- नेहा Nehaनहीं, मुझे सिर्फ बायाँ रास्ता दिख रहा है।nahi, mujhe sirf baayaan raasta dikh raha hai.No, I can only see the left path.
- अमित Amitचलो, हम फिर से देखते हैं।chalo, hum phir se dekhte hain.Let's look again.
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, वह रहा दाहिना रास्ता!haan, vah raha dahina raasta!Yes, there is the right path!
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.
