Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| कहानी | kahānī | /kə.ɦɑː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| हिकायत | hikāyat | feminine | |
| दास्तान | dāstān | /d̪ɑːs.t̪ɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| क़िस्सा | qissā | /qɪs.sɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) /kɪs.sɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
All these words refer to an account of events.
Which one should you use?
कहानी is the most common and neutral word for 'story' used in everyday conversation and literature. दास्तान refers to a long, often epic or legendary tale, carrying more weight and grandeur than a simple story. क़िस्सा is often used to refer to a specific anecdote, an incident or a short tale/account of an event.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
कथा is a formal way to say 'story'. हिकायत is a more formal or literary term, often used in the context of classical storytelling or anecdotes.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Punjab, क़िस्सा is used to refer to a story.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the feminine noun कहानी is कहानियाँ. The plural form of the masculine noun क़िस्सा is क़िस्से.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kə.ɦɑː.niː/ (kahānī). It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term दास्तान is used to describe a specific genre of long, epic romances known as 'Dastan-goi' where the storyteller performs for hours.
- The word क़िस्सा is actually an Arabic loanword, showing how even common everyday terms in Hindi can have distant Middle Eastern origins.
- In classical Indian traditions, a कथा is often not just a story but a sacred narrative intended to provide spiritual or moral instruction.
Examples in context
- यह कहानी फिर से पढ़ने लायक है।This story is worth reading again.This sentence shows how to use कहानी to describe a story worth reading.Tatoeba #8879577 by simranbansal, translation #57259 by Dejo
- हो सकता है कि उसकी कहानी सच नहीं है।It may be that his story is not true.This sentence uses कहानी to express doubt about the truth of a story.
- मुझे एक कहानी सुनाओ।Tell me a story.This sentence is a simple way to ask someone to tell you a कहानी.Tatoeba #3617159 by sabretou, translation #3199823 by CK
- संगीत की सुंदर कथा आज शाम को सुनाई जाएगी।The beautiful story of music will be told this evening.
- आज मेरे दादा-दादी ने मुझे एक पुरानी कहानी सुनाई है।Today my grandparents told me an old story.
- यह मेरी पसंदीदा कहानी है।This is my favorite story.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Rahul are chatting about a movie they just watched.
- नेहा Nehaतुम्हें फिल्म की कहानी कैसी लगी?Tumhein film ki kahaani kaisi lagi?How did you like the story of the movie?
- राहुल Rahulकहानी बहुत दिलचस्प थी, पर अंत थोड़ा अजीब था।Kahaani bahut dilchasp thi, par ant thoda ajeeb tha.The story was very interesting, but the end was a bit strange.
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, मुझे भी यही लगा।Haan, mujhe bhi yahi laga.Yes, I felt the same way.
- राहुल Rahulफिर भी, यह एक अच्छी कहानी है।Phir bhi, yeh ek acchi kahaani hai.Still, it is a good story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “story” translations and entries कहानी, दास्तान, क़िस्सा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries कहानी, क़िस्सा, दास्तान, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
