शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii)
adjective/noun
शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii) means 'vegetarian' -- built from शाक (shaak, vegetable/greens) + आहार (aahaar, diet) + the ई (ii) suffix. It works both as a describing word (शाकाहारी भोजन (shaakaahaarii bhojan, vegetarian food)) and as a noun for a person who eats that way.
Sense
1
:
vegetarian (describing food, restaurants, or diet)
adjective
Synonyms: वेज (vej, colloquial, borrowed from English)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Look for the small square symbol on Indian packaged food: a green dot means शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii) and a brown/maroon dot means मांसाहारी (maansaahaarii) -- this red-vs-green coding is second nature to Indian shoppers and appears on every restaurant menu too. The word pair शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii) / मांसाहारी (maansaahaarii) is one of the first food distinctions any visitor to India learns, often before they learn much else.
Common Mistakes: 1) In everyday Indian usage शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii) usually still includes dairy like दूध (doodh, milk) and दही (dahii, yogurt) -- it is not the same as the English 'vegan.' 2) Eggs are almost always excluded, so अंडा (andaa, egg) is generally treated as मांसाहारी (maansaahaarii, non-vegetarian) in India, which surprises many Western learners.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे शाकाहारी खाना पसंद है।
I like vegetarian food.
(mujhe shaakaahaarii khaanaa pasand hai।)
यह रेस्टोरेंट पूरी तरह शाकाहारी है।
This restaurant is completely vegetarian.
(yah restorent poorii tarah shaakaahaarii hai।)
पैकेट पर हरा निशान देखो, इसका मतलब है यह शाकाहारी है।
Look at the green mark on the packet, it means this is vegetarian.
(paiket par haraa nishaan dekho, iskaa matlab hai yah shaakaahaarii hai।)
क्या यहाँ कोई शाकाहारी थाली मिलती है?
Is there a vegetarian thali available here?
(kyaa yahaan koii shaakaahaarii thaalii miltii hai?)
अगर वह शाकाहारी होता, तो हमें अलग खाना नहीं बनाना पड़ता।
If his diet were vegetarian, we wouldn't have had to cook separately.
(agar vah shaakaahaarii hotaa, to hamen alag khaanaa nahiin banaanaa padtaa।)
हवाई जहाज़ में मैंने शाकाहारी भोजन का ऑर्डर दिया था।
On the plane I had ordered vegetarian food.
(havaaii jahaaz men mainne shaakaahaarii bhojan kaa ordar diyaa thaa।)
कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि सारा खाना शाकाहारी हो।
Please make sure all the food is vegetarian.
(kripyaa sunishchit karen ki saaraa khaanaa shaakaahaarii ho।)
शादी में सारा खाना शाकाहारी रखा गया था।
At the wedding, all the food was kept vegetarian.
(shaadii men saaraa khaanaa shaakaahaarii rakhaa gayaa thaa।)
यह मंदिर के पास वाली दुकान सिर्फ़ शाकाहारी चीज़ें बेचती है।
This shop near the temple sells only vegetarian items.
(yah mandir ke paas vaalii dukaan sirf shaakaahaarii chiizen bechtii hai।)
अगली बार हम कोई शाकाहारी जगह पर खाना खाएँगे।
Next time we will eat at some vegetarian place.
(aglii baar ham koii shaakaahaarii jagah par khaanaa khaaenge।)
उसकी दुकान में शाकाहारी और मांसाहारी दोनों तरह के मोमो अलग-अलग रखे रहते हैं।
In his shop, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian momos are kept separately.
(uskii dukaan men shaakaahaarii aur maansaahaarii donon tarah ke momo alag-alag rakhe rahte hain।)
Sense
2
:
a vegetarian (a person who does not eat meat, fish, or eggs)
noun, masculine/feminine Used exactly like the English noun 'vegetarian': मैं शाकाहारी हूँ (main shaakaahaarii hoon, 'I am a vegetarian') -- no separate word for the person versus the food quality.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: When ordering at a dhaba or asking about a new friend's food habits, कोई शाकाहारी है क्या? (koii shaakaahaarii hai kyaa?, 'is anyone a vegetarian?') is a completely normal, non-awkward question in India -- unlike in many Western settings, checking everyone's diet before a meal is just good hosting.
Common Mistakes: 1) Strict Jain vegetarians (जैन शाकाहारी, jain shaakaahaarii) also avoid onion and garlic, so simply saying शाकाहारी (shaakaahaarii) at a Jain host's table may not fully convey your dietary needs -- you may need to specify further.
Sample Sentences:
मैं शाकाहारी हूँ।
I am a vegetarian.
(main shaakaahaarii hoon।)
पार्टी में कोई शाकाहारी है क्या?
Is anyone at the party a vegetarian?
(paartii men koii shaakaahaarii hai kyaa?)
मेरी सास पूरी तरह शाकाहारी हैं।
My mother-in-law is a complete vegetarian.
(merii saas poorii tarah shaakaahaarii hain।)
पहले वह शाकाहारी नहीं था, फिर धीरे-धीरे बन गया।
He wasn't a vegetarian before; then he gradually became one.
(pahle vah shaakaahaarii nahiin thaa, phir dhiire-dhiire ban gayaa।)
अगर तुम शाकाहारी होते, तो मैं दूसरा रेस्टोरेंट चुनती।
If you were a vegetarian, I would have chosen a different restaurant.
(agar tum shaakaahaarii hote, to main doosraa restorent chuntii।)
क्या तुम शाकाहारी हो या मांसाहारी?
Are you a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?
(kyaa tum shaakaahaarii ho yaa maansaahaarii?)
मेहमानों में से जो शाकाहारी हों, उनके लिए अलग थाली लगा दो।
Whichever guests are vegetarians, set out a separate plate for them.
(mehmaanon men se jo shaakaahaarii hon, unke lie alag thaalii lagaa do।)
भारत में करोड़ों लोग शाकाहारी हैं।
Tens of millions of people in India are vegetarians.
(bhaarat men karodon log shaakaahaarii hain।)
सर्वे के अनुसार, इस शहर में शाकाहारियों की संख्या लगातार बढ़ रही है।
According to the survey, the number of vegetarians in this city is continuously increasing.
(sarve ke anusaar, is shahar men shaakaahaariyon kii sankhyaa lagaataar badh rahii hai।)
काश मैं भी शाकाहारी होता, तो यह डिश खा पाता।
If only I too were a vegetarian, I would have been able to eat this dish.
(kaash main bhii shaakaahaarii hotaa, to yah dish khaa paataa।)
यह मत सोचो कि सारे शाकाहारी कमज़ोर होते हैं।
Don't think that all vegetarians are weak.
(yah mat socho ki saare shaakaahaarii kamzor hote hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
शाकाहारी
(shaakaahaarii)
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
शाकाहारी
(shaakaahaarii)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
शाकाहारी
(shaakaahaarii)
(pl.m/f.direct):
शाकाहारियाँ
(shaakaahaariyaan)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
शाकाहारियों
(shaakaahaariyon)