Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| दुनिया | duniyā | /d̪ʊ.nɪ.jɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) /d̪ʊn.jɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
feminine |
| लोक | lok | /loːk/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| आलम | ālam | /ɑː.ləm/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
The most common way to refer to the inhabited planet is दुनिया. For the idiomatic expression 'around the world' or 'throughout the world', use the phrase दुनिया भर में.
Which one should you use?
दुनिया is the most common and versatile word for 'world' in everyday conversation. लोक is a more formal or literary term often used when referring to 'the public' or 'the people of the world'. आलम is a poetic or Urdu-influenced term that is often used to describe a 'state', 'condition' or 'atmosphere' of the world.
How does it change in a sentence?
दुनिया is a feminine noun, so any adjectives or verbs used to describe it must agree with its feminine gender. In contrast, लोक and आलम are masculine nouns, requiring masculine agreement for adjectives and verbs.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is duniyā. It has three syllables.
Did you know?
- In Hindu cosmology, the word लोक is used to describe different planes of existence, such as the 'upper world' and 'lower world', rather than just Earth.
- The word दुनिया entered Hindi via Persian and Arabic, and it is now shared across many South Asian languages including Bengali, Gujarati and Punjabi.
- In classical Urdu and Hindi poetry, आलम can refer to a specific territory or a royal court, moving the scale from the global to the local.
Examples in context
- दुनिया भर में बहुत से लोगों को अच्छा पानी उपलब्ध नहीं है।Many people around the world don't have access to good quality water.This sentence shows how to use दुनिया in the phrase 'around the world'.Tatoeba #5358618 by dfordivam, translation #5358560 by dfordivam
- एक ही दुनिया है।There is one world.This sentence uses दुनिया to state there is one world.Tatoeba #13688197 by sabretou, translation #11375943 by purehearted
- दुनिया बदल गई है।The world has changed.This sentence uses दुनिया to say the world has changed.Tatoeba #3922346 by sabretou, translation #1494827 by Spamster
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are talking about their travel plans.
- अमित Amitक्या तुम पूरी दुनिया घूमना चाहती हो?Kya tum poori duniya ghoomna chahti ho?Do you want to travel the whole world?
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, मुझे दुनिया देखनी है।Haan, mujhe duniya dekhni hai.Yes, I want to see the world.
- अमित Amitदुनिया बहुत बड़ी है।Duniya bahut badi hai.The world is very big.
- पूजा Poojaपर यह बहुत खूबसूरत भी है।Par yeh bahut khoobsurat bhi hai.But it is also very beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “world” translations and entries दुनिया, लोक, आलम, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आलम, दुनिया, लोक, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
