बर्फ़
barf/bə.ɾəf/feminine
The Hindi word for snow is बर्फ़ (barf). Wiktionary also lists हिमपात (himpāt).
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| बर्फ़ | barf | /bə.ɾəf/ (Hindi, Standard) /bə.ɾəpʰ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
| हिमपात | himpāt | /ɦɪm.pɑːt̪/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The word बर्फ़ refers to the crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation or the accumulation of it as a white layer.
Which one should you use?
While बर्फ़ is the common word for snow, it is also used to mean ice. If you want to refer specifically to the phenomenon of snowfall rather than the substance, use the formal term हिमपात. Another common way to describe the act of snowing or a period of snowfall is बर्फ़बारी.
How does it change in a sentence?
बर्फ़ is a feminine noun, so any adjectives used to describe it must take the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is barf. The IPA is /bə.ɾəf/.
Did you know?
- While बर्फ़ is the everyday word, the root हिम in हिमपात is the same root used in 'Himalayas', which literally means 'the abode of snow'.
- While बर्फ़ is used for both snow and ice, a speaker might use the word बर्फ़ी to describe a popular milk-based fudge, despite the word sounding nearly identical to a diminutive form of snow.
- The common word बर्फ़ is a loanword from Persian, which is why it sounds more familiar to speakers of Urdu than to those of pure Sanskrit-based Hindi.
Examples in context
- कल यहाँ दो इंच बर्फ़ पड़ेगी।Two inches of snow will fall here tomorrow.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of बर्फ़ when predicting weather.
- पहाड़ पर बर्फ़ बिछी हुई है।The mountain is covered with snow.This sentence is useful for describing how बर्फ़ covers a landscape.Tatoeba #506538 by minshirui, translation #47709 by CK
- शायेद हिमपात होगा.Maybe it will snow.This sentence is useful for practicing the formal term हिमपात to express the possibility of snowing.Tatoeba #2066002 by RadiumCat, translation #408313 by Liface
- बाहर इतनी बर्फ है।There is so much snow outside.
Example conversation
Aditya and Priya are looking out the window at a cold morning.
- आदित्य Adityaदेखो, बाहर बहुत सारी बर्फ़ है।Dekho, baahar bahut saari barf hai.Look, there is a lot of snow outside.
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ, यह बहुत सुंदर लग रही है।Haan, yeh bahut sundar lag rahi hai.Yes, it looks very beautiful.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या हमें आज बाहर जाना चाहिए?Kya humein aaj baahar jaana chahiye?Should we go out today?
- प्रिया Priyaनहीं, बहुत ठंड है।Nahin, bahut thand hai.No, it is very cold.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries बर्फ़, हिमपात, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries बर्फ़, हिमपात, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
