शब्द
śabda/ɕɐ́b.dɐ/masculine
The Sanskrit word for "word" is शब्द (śabda). Wiktionary also lists पद (pada) and अक्षरा (akṣarā).
Meaning: unit of language (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sanskrit | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| शब्द | śabda | /ɕɐ́b.dɐ/ (Vedic) /ɕɐb.d̪ɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
masculine |
| पद | pada | /pɐ.dɐ́/ (Vedic) /pɐ.d̪ɐ/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
neuter |
| अक्षरा | akṣarā | /ɐ́k.ʂɐ.ɾɑː/ (Vedic) /ɐk.ʂɐ.ɾɑː/ (Classical Sanskrit) |
feminine |
Which one should you use?
There are different terms for "word" depending on the context. शब्द refers to a sound or a word in a general sense, often emphasizing the auditory aspect. In contrast, पद is used specifically in a grammatical context to refer to a word that is inflected, making it a morphological unit.
How does it change in a sentence?
The language provides different forms based on gender: शब्द is masculine, पद is neuter and अक्षरा is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word शब्द is pronounced as /ɕɐ́b.dɐ/ (two syllables).
Did you know?
- The word पद is a distant relative of the English word 'foot'. While it means a grammatical 'word' in Sanskrit, it shares an ancient root with the English 'foot' and the Greek 'pédon', which originally referred to a 'footprint' or the 'ground'.
- The word पद is used in Sanskrit to describe a verse or a stanza of a poem, treating a whole line of poetry as a single 'step' or 'foot' in a sequence.
- While we think of 'words' as transient, the Sanskrit term for a syllable, अक्षरा, literally means 'imperishable' or 'that which does not decay'.
Examples in context
- एतद् एकः शब्दः अस्ति।etad ekaḥ śabdaḥ asti.This is a word.
- तस्य शब्दः अति सुन्दरः अस्ति।tasya śabdaḥ ati sundaraḥ asti.His word is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Kavya and Aryan are studying a Sanskrit text together.
- काव्या Kavyaआर्यन, एषः शब्दः कः अस्ति?āryana, eṣaḥ śabdaḥ kaḥ asti?Aryan, what is this word?
- आर्यन Aryanएषः शब्दः 'ज्ञानम्' अस्ति।eṣaḥ śabdaḥ 'jñānam' asti.This word is 'knowledge'.
- काव्या Kavyaअस्य अर्थः किम्?asya arthaḥ kim?What is its meaning?
- आर्यन Aryanअस्य अर्थः 'बोधः' अस्ति।asya arthaḥ 'bodhaḥ' asti.Its meaning is 'understanding'.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “word” translations and entries शब्द, पद, अक्षरा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अक्षरा, पद, शब्द, CC BY-SA 4.0.
