Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| जीभ | jībh | /d͡ʒiːbʱ/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| ज़बान | zabān | /zə.bɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) /d͡ʒə.bɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
| जिह्वा | jihvā | feminine | |
| लिसान | lisān | /lɪ.sɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| रसना | rasnā | /ɾəs.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
The primary way to refer to the biological organ is using जीभ. However, the word ज़बान is often used metaphorically to refer to a person's language, speech or way of speaking. This metaphorical usage also extends to idiomatic expressions, such as ज़बान फिसलना, which means "to slip of the tongue".
Which one should you use?
जीभ is the standard term used when referring specifically to the physical, biological organ. In contrast, ज़बान is frequently used to mean "language" or "speech". Other forms like जिह्वा, लिसान and रसना exist but serve very different stylistic purposes.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
जीभ is the standard and most common term for everyday contexts. The term ज़बान is common in idiomatic and everyday speech when discussing communication.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided for this word are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The default form जीभ is pronounced /dʒiːbʱ/ (jībh).
Did you know?
- The English word 'tongue' and the Hindi word जीभ are actually distant relatives, both tracing their origins back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European roots.
- If someone says they have 'given their ज़बान', they are not talking about their physical tongue, but are actually making a solemn, unbreakable promise.
- Hindi contains three different words for 'tongue' that arrive from three different linguistic directions: one from Sanskrit, one from Persian, and one from Arabic.
Examples in context
- मेरी जीभ में दर्द हो रहा है।I have a pain in my tongue.
- मेरी जीभ जल गई।merī jībh jal gaī.My tongue got burned.
- उसकी जीभ बहुत काली है।uskī jībh bahut kālī hai.His tongue is very black.
Example conversation
At a doctor's clinic after eating something too hot.
- आदित्य Adityaनेहा, क्या हुआ?nehā, kyā huā?Neha, what happened?
- नेहा Nehaमेरी जीभ जल गई है।merī jībh jal gaī hai.My tongue has been burned.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या बहुत दर्द हो रहा है?kyā bahut dard ho rahā hai?Does it hurt a lot?
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, बहुत ज्यादा।hā̃, bahut jyādā.Yes, a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tongue” translations and entries जीभ, ज़बान, लिसान, रसना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ज़बान, जीभ, लिसान, CC BY-SA 4.0.
