चीनी
chīnīeveryday
The Hindi word for sugar is चीनी (chīnī). Many speakers also say शक्कर (shakkar), and the two are used for the same thing. It is also called मीठा (mīṭhā).
Meaning: sweet white crystals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| चीनी | chīnī | everyday |
| शक्कर | shakkar | everyday, common in some regions |
| मीठा | mīṭhā | means sweet |
In a tea shop you ask चाय में चीनी कितनी? (chāy meṁ chīnī kitnī?) or say कम चीनी (kam chīnī), less sugar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Which word you hear changes with the place. चीनी (chīnī) is very common in the north, and शक्कर (shakkar) is also widely used.
Did you know?
- The word चीनी (chīnī) is also the word for Chinese, so context tells you whether someone means sugar or the Chinese language.
Examples in context
- मुझे चाय में कम चीनी चाहिए।mujhe chāy meṁ kam chīnī chāhie.I want less sugar in my tea.
- घर में शक्कर ख़त्म हो गई।ghar meṁ shakkar khatm ho gaī.We ran out of sugar at home.
Example conversation
Mina buys groceries from a shopkeeper near her home.
- Minaभैया, एक किलो चीनी दीजिए।bhaiyā, ek kilo chīnī dījie.Brother, please give me one kilo of sugar.
- Dukandarऔर कुछ चाहिए?aur kuchh chāhie?Do you need anything else?
- Minaनहीं, बस इतना ही।nahīṁ, bas itnā hī.No, just this.
