होशियार
hośiyār/ɦoː.ʃɪ.jɑːɾ/
The English word 'smart' can be translated into Hindi using several terms, most commonly होशियार (hośiyār). Wiktionary also lists बुद्धिमान (buddhimān) and चतुर (catur).
Meaning: exhibiting intellectual knowledge, such as that found in books (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| होशियार | hośiyār | /ɦoː.ʃɪ.jɑːɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| बुद्धिमान | buddhimān | /bʊd̪.d̪ʱɪ.mɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| चतुर | catur | /t͡ʃə.t̪ʊɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The term 'smart' in Hindi can be expressed in several ways depending on whether you are referring to book-learned intelligence, street-smarts or formal wisdom.
Which one should you use?
While होशियार is the most versatile and common way to say 'smart' in everyday conversation, covering both academic and practical intelligence, other forms offer specific nuances. Use बुद्धिमान to describe high-level intellectual intelligence or wisdom, and use चतुर when you mean 'clever' in a way that suggests street-smarts or even being cunning or sly.
How does it change in a sentence?
होशियार is an invariant adjective, meaning it does not change its form based on the gender or number of the noun it describes.
How do you pronounce it?
hośiyār (hoː.ʃɪ.jɑːɾ)
Did you know?
- The term बुद्धिमान comes from the root बुद्धि, which refers to the intellect and is the same root used for the word 'Buddha', meaning 'the awakened one'.
- In a colloquial setting, calling someone होशियार with a specific sarcastic tone can actually mean they are acting 'too smart for their own good'.
- The word होशियार is not actually native to Hindi, but was borrowed from Classical Persian.
Examples in context
- कौवे होशियार होते हैं।Crows are smart.This sentence shows how to describe animals as being smart using होशियार.Tatoeba #10047674 by sabretou, translation #5807178 by Hybrid
- टॉम एक बहुत चतुर लड़का है।Tom is a really smart guy.This sentence illustrates the use of चतुर to describe a clever person.Tatoeba #9415129 by abracadebby, translation #5078875 by CK
- मैं उतना होशियार नहीं हूँ।I'm not so smart.This sentence demonstrates the use of होशियार in a personal context.Tatoeba #10978458 by sabretou, translation #5852234 by CK
- वह एक बहुत ही चतुर लड़का है।He is a very smart boy.
- ध्यान से सोचो और फिर जवाब दो, तुम तो बहुत बुद्धिमान हो!Think carefully and then answer, you are very smart!
- उस साइकिल चोर को पकड़ने के लिए तुम तो होशियार निकले।You turned out to be smart to catch that bicycle thief.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Aditya are discussing a difficult math problem.
- नेहा Nehaआदित्य, क्या तुम यह सवाल हल कर सकते हो?Aditya, kya tum yeh sawal hal kar sakte ho?Aditya, can you solve this question?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, यह बहुत आसान है।Haan, yeh bahut aasaan hai.Yes, this is very easy.
- नेहा Nehaतुम वाकई बहुत होशियार हो!Tum vaakai bahut hoshiyaar ho!You are really very smart!
- आदित्य Adityaशुक्रिया, नेहा।Shukriya, Neha.Thank you, Neha.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smart” translations and entries होशियार, बुद्धिमान, चतुर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चतुर, बुद्धिमान, होशियार, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
