तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द

B1 — शब्दावली

धन्यवाद या शुक्रिया — एक ही अर्थ, दो परंपराएँ

I can recognise the register of a word and choose one that fits the situation

Examples

— Thanks, mate.
— Thank you for your cooperation.
— There's no time.

शब्दावलीB1

Registers: Sanskritic and Perso-Arabic Vocabulary

Two vocabularies for one language, and when to use which

Learning Goal

I can recognise the register of a word and choose one that fits the situation

Exam Skills:बोलनालिखना

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Thanks, mate.

Thank you for your cooperation.

There's no time.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Two streams

Hindi draws on two large vocabularies. Sanskrit-derived words (तत्सम) dominate formal writing, news and officialdom; Persian and Arabic borrowings dominate everyday speech, poetry and film.

Meaning	Sanskritic	Perso-Arabic
thank you	धन्यवाद	शुक्रिया
question	प्रश्न	सवाल
answer	उत्तर	जवाब
time	समय	वक़्त
city	नगर	शहर
hope	आशा	उम्मीद

Which to use

तद्भव

A third layer is inherited rather than borrowed: words worn down from Sanskrit over centuries. काम from कर्म, दूध from दुग्ध, हाथ from हस्त. These are the oldest and commonest words in the language.

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Using the formal Sanskritic word in casual conversation, which sounds stiff.

Common Error Patterns

Sanskritic word used in casual speech

In conversation the Perso-Arabic member is usually the natural one.

Assuming the borrowing is the bookish word

In Hindi the borrowed Persian layer is the colloquial one.

Thanks, mate.

The Perso-Arabic word in casual speech.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Sanskritic pair in a formal notice, like the Russian blagodarim.

There's no time.

vaqt is the everyday word; samay belongs to a written notice.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

B1 Course

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Frequently asked questions

When is तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द used?: Hindi draws on two large vocabularies. Sanskrit-derived words (तत्सम) dominate formal writing, news and officialdom; Persian and Arabic borrowings dominate everyday speech, poetry and film.
How is तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द formed?: Neither is more correct. In conversation the Perso-Arabic word is usually the more natural of the pair; in a written notice or a news bulletin the Sanskritic one is. Mixing them in one sentence is entirely ordinary. A third layer is inherited rather than borrowed: words worn down from Sanskrit over centuries. काम from कर्म, दूध from दुग्ध, हाथ from हस्त. These are the oldest and commonest words in the language.
What are common mistakes with तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द?: Using the formal Sanskritic word in casual conversation, which sounds stiff. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: the grad/gorod split gives a ready-made instinct for register, but the sources are reversed - the Persian layer is the colloquial one, which surprises learners who expect borrowings to be the bookish ones.

Sources

देवनागरी लिपि तथा हिंदी वर्तनी का मानकीकरण — केंद्रीय हिंदी निदेशालय, शिक्षा मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार, 1983
The Government of India standard for Devanagari spelling, followed for all written forms here.
Outline of Hindi Grammar — Oxford University Press, 1995
R. S. McGregor's outline, the standard concise academic description of Hindi morphology.
Hindi (London Oriental and African Language Library 12) — John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006
Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.

Meaning

Sanskritic

Perso-Arabic

thank you

धन्यवाद

शुक्रिया

question

प्रश्न

सवाल

answer

उत्तर

जवाब

time

समय

वक़्त

city

नगर

शहर

hope

आशा

उम्मीद

Frequently asked questions

When is तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द used?

Hindi draws on two large vocabularies. Sanskrit-derived words (तत्सम) dominate formal writing, news and officialdom; Persian and Arabic borrowings dominate everyday speech, poetry and film.

How is तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द formed?

Neither is more correct. In conversation the Perso-Arabic word is usually the more natural of the pair; in a written notice or a news bulletin the Sanskritic one is. Mixing them in one sentence is entirely ordinary. A third layer is inherited rather than borrowed: words worn down from Sanskrit over centuries. काम from कर्म, दूध from दुग्ध, हाथ from हस्त. These are the oldest and commonest words in the language.

What are common mistakes with तत्सम, तद्भव और उर्दू शब्द?

Using the formal Sanskritic word in casual conversation, which sounds stiff. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: the grad/gorod split gives a ready-made instinct for register, but the sources are reversed - the Persian layer is the colloquial one, which surprises learners who expect borrowings to be the bookish ones.

Sources

देवनागरी लिपि तथा हिंदी वर्तनी का मानकीकरण — केंद्रीय हिंदी निदेशालय, शिक्षा मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार, 1983

The Government of India standard for Devanagari spelling, followed for all written forms here.

Outline of Hindi Grammar — Oxford University Press, 1995

R. S. McGregor's outline, the standard concise academic description of Hindi morphology.

Hindi (London Oriental and African Language Library 12) — John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006

Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.