शौचालय
śaucālay/ʃɔː.t͡ʃɑː.ləj/
The Hindi word for toilet is शौचालय (śaucālay).
शौचालय refers to a fixture used for urination and defecation. In India, this is the most appropriate word to look for on signage in places like airports, malls and railway stations.
Meaning: fixture used for urination and defecation (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word शौचालय is a compound of शौच (śauca), meaning purification or cleanliness and आलय (ālaya), meaning house or place, literally translating to "place of purification".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
शौचालय is the formal and standard term used in polite conversation, official documents and on public signs. For a more euphemistic formal expression, you might see स्वच्छता कक्ष, which literally translates to "cleanliness room". In informal settings, people often use the transliterated word टॉयलेट. In very casual or childish speech, descriptive phrases like सुसु करने की जगह (place to pee) might be used.
How do you pronounce it?
śaucālay /ʃɔː.tʃɑː.ləj/
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit root आलय in शौचालय is the same one found in the word हिमालय (Himalayas), which means 'abode of snow'.
- In many Indian households, the 'toilet' is traditionally separated from the 'bathroom' (where one bathes), meaning you might find two different rooms for these functions.
- Because the word शौच means 'purification', the term शौचालय reflects an ancient cultural view of excretion as a ritual act of cleaning the body.
Examples in context
- शौचालय कहाँ है?shauchalay kahan hai?Where is the toilet?
- यह शौचालय बहुत साफ है।yah shauchalay bahut saaf hai.This toilet is very clean.
- क्या यहाँ शौचालय उपलब्ध है?kya yahan shauchalay uplabdh hai?Is a toilet available here?
Example conversation
Vikas and Priya are at a shopping mall.
- विकास Vikasप्रिया, क्या आप जानते हैं कि शौचालय कहाँ है?Priya, kya aap jaante hain ki shauchalay kahan hai?Priya, do you know where the toilet is?
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ, वह उस गलियारे में है।haan, vah us galiyare mein hai.Yes, it is in that corridor.
- विकास Vikasक्या वह शौचालय साफ है?kya vah shauchalay saaf hai?Is that toilet clean?
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ, वह बहुत साफ है।haan, vah bahut saaf hai.Yes, it is very clean.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry शौचालय, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
