बुद्धिजीवी (buddhijiivii)
noun/adjective
A single-sense noun/adjective meaning 'intellectual' -- someone who lives by the mind (बुद्धि (buddhi, 'intellect') + जीवी (jiivii, 'one who lives by')). Often used in modern social/political commentary, sometimes with a wry or critical edge.
Sense
1
:
intellectual, member of the educated/thinking class
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: विचारक (vichaarak, thinker), विद्वान (vidvaan, scholar)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this word a lot on Indian news debate shows and in political arguments, often thrown around as a label for writers, professors, and commentators. Depending on who's speaking, it can be a genuine compliment or a pointed jab -- calling someone a 'बुद्धिजीवी' (buddhijiivii) in a heated argument can imply they're all talk and disconnected from real life, similar to how 'intellectual' can be used sarcastically in English too.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this as a neutral synonym for 'educated person,' but in casual conversation it can carry a mildly sarcastic edge, implying someone who talks a lot about ideas but is out of touch with ground realities -- especially in phrases like तथाकथित बुद्धिजीवी (tathaakthit buddhijiivii, 'so-called intellectual'). 2) It's grammatically m/f invariant as a noun referring to a person of either gender, unlike many -ई ending nouns that shift with gender.
Sample Sentences:
वह एक जाना-माना बुद्धिजीवी है।
He is a well-known intellectual.
(vah ek jaanaa-maanaa buddhijiivii hai।)
इस बहस में कई बुद्धिजीवी हिस्सा ले रहे हैं।
Many intellectuals are taking part in this debate.
(is bahas men kaii buddhijiivii hissaa le rahe hain।)
उन बुद्धिजीवियों ने सरकार की नीति की आलोचना की।
Those intellectuals criticized the government's policy.
(un buddhijiiviyon ne sarkaar kii niiti kii aalochnaa kii।)
अरे, तुम तो बड़े बुद्धिजीवी बन गए हो, आम लोगों की तकलीफ क्या समझोगे!
Oh, you've turned into such a big intellectual -- what would you understand about ordinary people's problems!
(are, tum to bade buddhijiivii ban gae ho, aam logon kii takliiph kyaa samjhoge!)
काश वह बुद्धिजीवी थोड़ा ज़मीन से जुड़ा होता।
If only that intellectual were a bit more in touch with reality.
(kaash vah buddhijiivii thodaa zamiin se judaa hotaa।)
देश के प्रमुख बुद्धिजीवियों को इस मुद्दे पर बुलाया जाएगा।
The country's leading intellectuals will be invited on this issue.
(desh ke pramukh buddhijiiviyon ko is mudde par bulaayaa jaaegaa।)
बुद्धिजीवी वर्ग अक्सर समाज की दिशा पर बहस करता रहता है।
The intellectual class often keeps debating the direction of society.
(buddhijiivii varg aksar samaaj kii dishaa par bahas kartaa rahtaa hai।)
क्या सच में वह बुद्धिजीवी है, या बस किताबी बातें करता है?
Is he really an intellectual, or does he just talk bookish nonsense?
(kyaa sach men vah buddhijiivii hai, yaa bas kitaabii baaten kartaa hai?)
टीवी डिबेट में हर रात कोई नया बुद्धिजीवी अपनी राय देता है।
In the TV debate, some new intellectual gives their opinion every night.
(tiivii dibet men har raat koii nayaa buddhijiivii apnii raay detaa hai।)
बुद्धिजीवियों से गुज़ारिश है कि वे व्यावहारिक समाधान सुझाएँ, सिर्फ़ आलोचना न करें।
Intellectuals are requested to suggest practical solutions, not just criticize.
(buddhijiiviyon se guzaarish hai ki ve vyaavahaarik samaadhaan sujhaaen, sirf aalochnaa n karen।)
Sense
2
:
intellectual (as a descriptor)
adjective Used before a noun to describe something as belonging to or characteristic of the intellectual class, e.g. बुद्धिजीवी वर्ग (buddhijiivii varg, 'the intellectual class').
Synonyms: वैचारिक (vaichaarik, ideological/intellectual in nature)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This adjectival use shows up often in phrases like बुद्धिजीवी वर्ग (buddhijiivii varg, 'intellectual class') in newspaper editorials and political speeches, framing intellectuals as a distinct social group rather than describing an individual trait.
Sample Sentences:
बुद्धिजीवी वर्ग हमेशा सरकार की नीतियों पर सवाल उठाता है।
The intellectual class always raises questions about the government's policies.
(buddhijiivii varg hameshaa sarkaar kii niitiyon par savaal uthaataa hai।)
यह एक बुद्धिजीवी बहस थी, जिसमें आम लोगों की कोई दिलचस्पी नहीं थी।
It was an intellectual debate, in which ordinary people had no interest.
(yah ek buddhijiivii bahas thii, jismen aam logon kii koii dilchaspii nahiin thii।)
संपादक ने अपने लेख में बुद्धिजीवी तबके की चुप्पी पर सवाल उठाया।
The editor questioned the silence of the intellectual section in his article.
(sampaadak ne apne lekh men buddhijiivii tabke kii chuppii par savaal uthaayaa।)
अगर यह भाषण ज़्यादा बुद्धिजीवी हो जाता, तो आम दर्शक उससे जुड़ न पाते।
If this speech had become too intellectual, ordinary viewers wouldn't have been able to connect with it.
(agar yah bhaashan zyaadaa buddhijiivii ho jaataa, to aam darshak usse jud n paate।)
पत्रिका के इस अंक को बुद्धिजीवी पाठकों के लिए तैयार किया गया है।
This issue of the magazine has been prepared for intellectual readers.
(patrikaa ke is ank ko buddhijiivii paathkon ke lie taiyaar kiyaa gayaa hai।)
क्या बुद्धिजीवी हलकों में इस फ़िल्म की कोई चर्चा हुई?
Was there any discussion of this film in intellectual circles?
(kyaa buddhijiivii halkon men is film kii koii charchaa huii?)
उम्मीद है कि यह बुद्धिजीवी विमर्श किसी ठोस नतीजे तक पहुँचे।
One hopes that this intellectual discourse reaches some concrete conclusion.
(ummiid hai ki yah buddhijiivii vimarsh kisii thos natiije tak pahunche।)
देश के बुद्धिजीवी समाज को इस मुद्दे पर अपनी राय ज़रूर देनी चाहिए।
The country's intellectual society should definitely give its opinion on this issue.
(desh ke buddhijiivii samaaj ko is mudde par apnii raay zaroor denii chaahie।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
बुद्धिजीवी
(buddhijiivii)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
बुद्धिजीवी
(buddhijiivii)
(pl.m/f.direct):
बुद्धिजीवियाँ
(buddhijiiviyaan)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
बुद्धिजीवियों
(buddhijiiviyon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
बुद्धिजीवी
(buddhijiivii)