Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| युद्ध | yuddh | /jʊd̪d̪ʱ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| जंग | jaṅg | /d͡ʒəŋɡ/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| संग्राम | saṅgrām | /səŋ.ɡɾɑːm/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| लड़ाई | laṛāī | /lə.ɽɑː.iː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| हर्ब | harb | masculine | |
| समर | samar | /sə.məɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| रण | raṇ | /ɾəɳ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
All these terms refer to conflict involving the organized use of arms, though they vary significantly in scale and tone. While some terms imply state-level conflict, others like लड़ाई may refer to smaller-scale fights or physical struggles.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the scale and context of the conflict. युद्ध is the formal, Sanskrit-derived term used in official, historical or academic contexts. In contrast, जंग is a more common, everyday word often used in casual conversation or news headlines. For smaller-scale fights, brawls or physical struggles, use लड़ाई. In poetic or epic literature, रण is used to refer to the act of combat or the battlefield. Other forms include the masculine terms संग्राम, समर and हर्ब, which also relate to conflict.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Gender must be respected when using adjectives. युद्ध, संग्राम, हर्ब, समर and रण are masculine, so adjectives describing them must take the masculine form (e.g., बड़ा युद्ध). However, जंग and लड़ाई are feminine, so adjectives describing them must take the feminine form (e.g., बड़ी जंग).
How do you pronounce it?
yuddh
Did you know?
- The word जंग has a double meaning in Hindi. While it can mean 'war', it is also used to describe 'rust' on metal.
- The common word for war, जंग, is actually a loanword from Persian rather than being native to Sanskrit-based Hindi.
- The term संग्राम is often used in modern Hindi to describe a 'struggle' or 'crusade' for a social cause, not just a military battle.
Examples in context
- वे शत्रु के विरुद्ध युद्ध में मारे गये।They were killed in the war against the enemy.This sentence uses युद्ध to describe being killed in a conflict.
- जंग शुरू हो रही है।The war is beginning.This sentence uses जंग to describe a war beginning.Tatoeba #13690000 by sabretou, translation #11889008 by ddnktr
- युद्ध की संभावना है।There's a possibility of war.This sentence uses युद्ध to mention the possibility of war.Tatoeba #3620623 by sabretou, translation #273268 by CK
- स्वतंत्रता के लिए एक भारत-पाकिस्तान युद्ध हुआ था।A war between India and Pakistan happened for independence.
- उन्होंने कहा कि ये मामला किसी दूसरी लड़ाई से आरंभ हुआ है।They said that this matter started with another war.
- बच्चे सभी खुद को एक पुलिस अधिकारी या सैनिक समझकर खेल के रूप में लड़ाई खेलते हैं।Children play war games pretending to be police officers or soldiers.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Vikas and Priya are discussing a history lesson about a great war.
- विकास Vikasयह युद्ध बहुत लंबा चला था।Yeh yuddh bahut lamba chala tha.This war lasted for a very long time.
- प्रिया Priyaहाँ, इसमें बहुत नुकसान हुआ।Haan, isme bahut nuksan hua.Yes, there was a lot of damage in it.
- विकास Vikasक्या युद्ध कभी खत्म होंगे?Kya yuddh kabhi khatm honge?Will wars ever end?
- प्रिया Priyaमैं उम्मीद करती हूँ कि हाँ।Main ummeed karti hoon ki haan.I hope that they will.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “war” translations and entries युद्ध, जंग, संग्राम, लड़ाई, समर, रण, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries जंग, युद्ध, लड़ाई, संग्राम, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
