Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| अचानक | acānak | /ə.t͡ʃɑː.nək/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| एकाएक | ekāek | /eː.kɑː.eːk/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| सहसा | sahsā | /səɦ.sɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| अनायास | anāyās | /ə.nɑː.jɑːs/ (Hindi, Standard) |
अचानक is the most versatile and commonly used term for 'suddenly' in both spoken and written Hindi. It describes something happening quickly and with little or no warning.
Which one should you use?
While अचानक is the standard word, एकाएक is often used to emphasize that something happened all at once or in a single, abrupt moment. Additionally, अनायास can mean 'suddenly' in the sense of something happening without warning, but it is more commonly used to mean 'effortlessly' or 'without effort'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
सहसा is a more formal or literary version of 'suddenly' and is frequently found in written literature or formal storytelling. For an informal way to convey 'suddenly', you can use the phrase एकदम से.
How do you pronounce it?
acānak is pronounced /ə.tʃɑː.nək/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word एकाएक is a linguistic blend, drawing influence from both the Hindi word for 'one' एक and the Classical Persian word یکایک.
- The informal phrase एकदम से uses the word एकदम, which literally means 'straight' or 'perfectly', to create the sense of a sudden, direct movement.
- Even though अचानक is the most common way to say 'suddenly', it is often used in Hindi songs to describe sudden shifts in emotion or fate rather than just physical events.
Examples in context
- उसकी निगाहें निःशब्द लड़की के चेहरे पर टिकी रहीं; जब कैथरीन ने उससे जर्मन में बात की तो पलकें अचानक हिल गईं।Her eyes remained motionlessly upon the girl's face. Only the lids moved suddenly when Katharine spoke to her in German.This sentence shows how eyelids might move suddenly using अचानक.Tatoeba #12642232 by PrasantaHembram, translation #11932351 by Cangarejo
- वह अचानक ज़ोर से चिल्लाने लगा।He suddenly started screaming loudly.This sentence describes someone who suddenly started screaming loudly using अचानक.
- एस्केलेटर अचानक थम गया।The escalator suddenly stopped.This sentence uses अचानक to describe an escalator that suddenly stopped.Tatoeba #4061262 by sabretou, translation #4060435 by B_C
- अचानक बारिश शुरू हो गई।The rain suddenly started.
- एकदम से उठकर भाग गया।He suddenly got up and ran away.
- अचानक भयानक आवाज सुनाई दी।All of a sudden, a terrifying sound could be heard.
- वे हमारे पास अचानक आ गए।They suddenly came to us.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are walking in a park when it starts to rain.
- अमित Amitदेखो, अचानक बारिश शुरू हो गई!Dekho, achanak baarish shuru ho gayi!Look, suddenly it started raining!
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, आसमान में बादल भी नहीं थे।Haan, aasman mein baadal bhi nahi the.Yes, there weren't even clouds in the sky.
- अमित Amitहमें अचानक घर जाना होगा।Hamein achanak ghar jaana hoga.We have to go home suddenly.
- पूजा Poojaचलो, जल्दी भागो अमित!Chalo, jaldi bhaago Amit!Come on, run quickly Amit!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “suddenly” translations and entries अचानक, एकाएक, सहसा, अनायास, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अनायास, एकाएक, सहसा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
