Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| चीनी | cīnī | /t͡ʃiː.niː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| शर्करा | śarkarā | /ʃəɾ.kə.ɾɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| शक्कर | śakkar | /ʃək.kəɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| मिसरी | misrī | feminine |
The terms used for sugar in Hindi vary depending on whether you are referring to common granulated sugar, a scientific substance or a specific type of candy-like sugar.
Which one should you use?
चीनी is the most common word for white granulated sugar used in daily life. शक्कर is a very common synonym for sugar, often used interchangeably with चीनी in household contexts. शर्करा is a formal, technical or scientific term for sugar used in academic or medical contexts. मिसरी refers specifically to rock sugar or sugar candy rather than granulated sugar.
How does it change in a sentence?
चीनी is a feminine noun, so any adjectives or verbs describing it must agree in feminine gender. Despite ending in a consonant, शक्कर is treated as a feminine noun in Hindi. The other forms, शर्करा and मिसरी, are also feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
cīnī (/tʃiː.niː/)
Did you know?
- The most common word for sugar, चीनी, is actually the word for 'Chinese'.
- In India, मिसरी is often used in traditional rituals and religious offerings rather than just as a sweetener for food.
- The formal term शर्करा is a direct descendant of the ancient Sanskrit word for 'grit' or 'gravel', reflecting the coarse texture of early sugar crystals.
Examples in context
- चीनी गर्म कॉफी में घुल जाती है।Sugar dissolves in hot coffee.This sentence shows how चीनी dissolves in hot coffee.Tatoeba #4907652 by yashtib1995, translation #243604 by shekitten
- दूध? चीनी?Milk? Sugar?This sentence uses चीनी in a brief conversational way to offer milk and sugar.Tatoeba #10531509 by PrasantaHembram, translation #997029 by Vulgaris
- शक्कर प्रायः पानी में घुल जाता है।Sugar usually dissolves in water.This sentence demonstrates how शक्कर dissolves in water.
- कृपया मुझे थोड़ी शक्कर दीजिए।Please give me some sugar.
- क्या यहाँ चीनी मिलेगी?Will I get sugar here?
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pooja and Amit are preparing tea in the kitchen.
- पूजा Poojaअमित, क्या घर में चीनी है?Amit, kya ghar mein cheeni hai?Amit, is there any sugar in the house?
- अमित Amitहाँ, डिब्बे में थोड़ी चीनी बची है।Haan, dibbe mein thodi cheeni bachi hai.Yes, there is a little sugar left in the jar.
- पूजा Poojaठीक है, मैं चाय में डाल देती हूँ।Theek hai, main chai mein daal deti hoon.Okay, I will put it in the tea.
- अमित Amitज़्यादा चीनी मत डालना।Zyada cheeni mat daalna.Don't put too much sugar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sugar” translations and entries चीनी, शर्करा, शक्कर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries चीनी, शक्कर, शर्करा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
