Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| प्रतीक्षा करना | pratīkṣā karnā | /pɾə.t̪iːk.ʂɑː kəɾ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| इंतज़ार करना | intzār karnā | /ɪn.t̪ə.zɑːɾ kəɾ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) /ɪn.t̪ə.d͡ʒɑːɾ kəɾ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| ठहरना | ṭhaharnā | /ʈʰə.ɦəɾ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The verb forms provided are used to express the act of delaying or staying in a state of expectation until an event occurs.
Which one should you use?
While all these terms relate to waiting or pausing, ठहरना actually means 'to stop' or 'to stay/halt' rather than the sense of waiting for a person or event. Between the other forms, प्रतीक्षा करना is a formal and more literary way to say 'to wait' compared to इंतज़ार करना.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous action 'I am waiting' as a male speaker, you would say इंतज़ार कर रहा हूँ. If you want to issue a command, the informal or neutral imperative is इंतज़ार करो, whereas the polite or formal way to say 'Please wait' is इंतज़ार कीजिए.
How do you pronounce it?
pratīkṣā karnā (IPA: /pɾə.t̪iːk.ʂɑː kəɾ.nɑː/)
Did you know?
- While प्रतीक्षा करना is native to the region, the more common word for waiting, इंतज़ार करना, is actually a loanword from Arabic.
Examples in context
- कृपया ठहरें। मैं आपके आने का इंतज़ार कर रहा हूँ।Please wait. I am waiting for your arrival.
- क्या आप कुछ समय के लिए इंतज़ार कर सकते हैं?Can you wait for a while?
- हमें परिणाम की प्रतीक्षा करना चाहिए।hamein parinaam ki pratiksha karna chaahie.We should wait for the result.
Example conversation
Vikas and Anjali are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- विकास Vikasअंजलि, क्या हमें और प्रतीक्षा करना चाहिए?Anjali, kya hamein aur pratiksha karna chahiye?Anjali, should we wait more?
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, वह बस आने ही वाला है।Haan, vah bas aane hi wala hai.Yes, he is just about to arrive.
- विकास Vikasठीक है, मैं यहाँ प्रतीक्षा करना जारी रखूँगा।Theek hai, main yahan pratiksha karna jaari rakhunga.Okay, I will continue to wait here.
- अंजलि Anjaliमैं भी आपके साथ रुकती हूँ।Main bhi aapke saath rukti hoon.I will stay with you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wait” translations and entries प्रतीक्षा करना, इंतज़ार करना, ठहरना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries इंतज़ार, करना, ठहरना, प्रतीक्षा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
