कठफोड़वा
kaṭhphoṛvāmasculine
The English word "woodpecker" is translated into Hindi as कठफोड़वा (kaṭhphoṛvā). Wiktionary also lists हुदहुद (hudhud) and कठफोड़ा (kaṭhphoṛā).
Meaning: bird in Picidae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| कठफोड़वा | kaṭhphoṛvā | masculine |
| हुदहुद | hudhud | masculine |
| कठफोड़ा | kaṭhphoṛā | masculine |
The term refers to a bird in the Picidae family.
What does it mean word for word?
The word कठफोड़वा is a compound consisting of कठ, meaning "wood" and फोड़वा, meaning "one who breaks or pierces".
Which one should you use?
The word हुदहुद should not be used for a woodpecker, as it refers specifically to the hoopoe bird. For the woodpecker, you should use कठफोड़वा or कठफोड़ा.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
kaṭhphoṛvā
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use हुदहुद to refer to a woodpecker, as this word specifically means hoopoe.
Did you know?
- The word कठफोड़वा is a descriptive compound where कठ is a poetic or archaic form of काठ, both meaning 'wood'.
- The term फोड़वा comes from the root फोड़ना, which means 'to break' or 'to burst', used here to describe the bird's piercing beak.
- While कठफोड़वा is the standard term, regional dialects in North India may shorten the word or alter the ending based on local grammar rules.
Examples in context
- वहाँ एक कठफोड़वा पेड़ पर है।vahr ek kathphodva ped par hai.There is a woodpecker on the tree.
- क्या तुमने कठफोड़वा देखा?kya tumne kathphodva dekha?Did you see the woodpecker?
- कठफोड़वा पेड़ के तने पर चढ़ रहा है।kathphodva ped ke tane par chadh raha hai.The woodpecker is climbing on the tree trunk.
Example conversation
Pooja and Rahul are walking in a forest.
- पूजा Poojaराहुल, देखो वहाँ एक कठफोड़वा है!rahul, dekho vahan ek kathphodva hai!Rahul, look, there is a woodpecker there!
- राहुल Rahulहाँ, वह बहुत ज़ोर से आवाज़ कर रहा है।han, vah bahut zor se aavaz kar raha hai.Yes, it is making a very loud noise.
- पूजा Poojaवह पेड़ के तने को क्यों ठोक रहा है?vah ped ke tane ko kyon thok raha hai?Why is it drumming on the tree trunk?
- राहुल Rahulशायद वह कीड़े ढूँढ रहा है।shayad vah kide dhund raha hai.Maybe it is looking for insects.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woodpecker” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
