बलवान
balvān/bəl.ʋɑːn/
The English word 'strong' can be translated into Hindi in several ways, with the default form being बलवान (balvān). Wiktionary also lists शक्तिशाली (śaktiśālī) and बली (balī).
Meaning: capable of producing great physical force (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| बलवान | balvān | /bəl.ʋɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| शक्तिशाली | śaktiśālī | /ʃək.t̪ɪ.ʃɑː.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| बली | balī | /bə.liː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| ताक़तवर | tāqatvar | /t̪ɑː.qət̪.ʋəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) /t̪ɑː.kət̪.ʋəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
शक्तिशाली describes someone or something possessing immense power, potency or influence. If you wish to express strength in terms of competence or the ability to handle difficult situations, use समर्थ.
What does it mean word for word?
The word बलवान is composed of बल (bal), meaning 'force' or 'power' and the suffix वान (vān), meaning 'possessing' or 'having'.
Which one should you use?
While बलवान refers specifically to physical strength or force, शक्तिशाली is more often used to describe someone or something that possesses power, influence or potency.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of बलवान is /bəl.ʋɑːn/. It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word बली can sometimes refer to a 'sacrifice' or something offered in a ritual, making its connection to 'strength' feel quite ancient and heavy with religious history.
- The word शक्ति (shakti), found inside शक्तिशाली, is also the name of the divine feminine cosmic energy in Hinduism.
- The word ताक़तवर reveals a linguistic layer of Hindi that comes from Persian, not Sanskrit. This shows how the language absorbed vocabulary from different cultures to describe the same concept of strength.
Examples in context
- वह मर्दाना और ताक़तवर है।He's manly and strong.This sentence uses ताक़तवर.Tatoeba #8889277 by simranbansal, translation #1912025 by Spamster
- टॉम काफी बलवान है।Tom is quite strong.This sentence uses बलवान.Tatoeba #3638882 by sabretou, translation #3409105 by CK
- वह अत्यंत बलवान है, इतना अधिक बलवान के उसे कोई पछाड़ नहीं सकता.He is very strong–so much so that no one can defeat him.Tatoeba #2028790 by RadiumCat, translation #302975 by halfb1t
- वह एक मजबूत व्यक्ति है।He is a strong person.
- वे शक्तिशाली नेता हैं।They are strong leaders.
- वह एक ताकतवर आदमी है।He is a strong man.
- उसका वचन ठोस है।His word is strong.
- वह बहुत बलवान महिला है।She is a very strong woman.
- वह इस कठिनाई को ताकत से पार करेगा।He will overcome this difficulty with strength.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pooja and Aditya are watching a wrestling match on TV.
- पूजा Poojaयह पहलवान बहुत बलवान है।Yah pehalvaan bahut balvaan hai.This wrestler is very strong.
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, वह आसानी से जीत जाएगा।Haan, vah aasaani se jeet jaayega.Yes, he will win easily.
- पूजा Poojaक्या तुम भी इतने बलवान बनना चाहते हो?Kya tum bhi itne balvaan banna chahte ho?Do you also want to become that strong?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, मैं रोज़ कसरत करता हूँ।Haan, main roz kasrat karta hoon.Yes, I exercise every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strong” translations and entries बलवान, शक्तिशाली, बली, ताक़तवर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
