विषय
viṣay/ʋɪ.ʂəj/masculine
The Hindi word for 'topic' is विषय (viṣay). Wiktionary also lists प्रसंग (prasaṅg).
Meaning: subject, theme (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| विषय | viṣay | /ʋɪ.ʂəj/ (Hindi, Standard) /ʋɪ.ʂɛː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
| प्रसंग | prasaṅg | /pɾə.səŋɡ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The term विषय is used to denote a subject or a general theme of study and discussion.
Which one should you use?
विषय is the most common word used for a general subject or a broad topic of discussion. In contrast, प्रसंग is used when you are referring to the context, the specific occasion or the circumstances in which something is mentioned.
How does it change in a sentence?
When the word विषय is followed by a postposition (such as 'of' or 'in'), it changes to its oblique plural form, विषयों.
How do you pronounce it?
viṣay is pronounced as /ʋɪ.ʂəj/.
Did you know?
- While विषय is the standard word for 'topic', the word विष in Hindi means 'poison'. The addition of a single syllable completely changes the meaning from something lethal to an academic subject.
- In a different context, विषय can refer to a 'region' or 'district' in ancient Indian administrative systems. This links the idea of a 'subject' of study to a 'subject' of a territory.
- The word विषय shares its Sanskrit roots with the concept of 'sensory objects' or 'targets of desire', meaning a 'topic' can metaphorically represent an object of the senses.
Examples in context
- आज का विषय विशेष क्या है?What is today's special topic?
- यह एक बहुत ही कठिन विषय है।Yah ek bahut hee kathin vishay hai.This is a very difficult subject.
- आज का विषय क्या है?Aaj ka vishay kya hai?What is today's topic?
- हमें इस विषय पर चर्चा करनी चाहिए।Hamein is vishay par charcha karni chahiye.We should discuss this topic.
Example conversation
Amit and Priya are discussing their upcoming college presentation.
- अमित Amitप्रिया, क्या तुमने विषय चुन लिया?Priya, kya tumne vishay chun liya?Priya, have you chosen the topic?
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ अमित, मैंने विषय सोच लिया है।Haan Amit, maine vishay soch liya hai.Yes Amit, I have thought of a topic.
- अमित Amitक्या वह विषय बहुत कठिन है?Kya vah vishay bahut kathin hai?Is that topic very difficult?
- प्रिया Priyaनहीं, यह विषय बहुत दिलचस्प है।Nahin, yah vishay bahut dilchasp hai.No, this topic is very interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “topic” translations and entries विषय, प्रसंग, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries प्रसंग, विषय, CC BY-SA 4.0.
