हिन्दू (hindoo)
noun/adjective
Both a noun (a person who follows Hinduism) and an adjective (relating to Hinduism or Hindus); also spelled हिंदू (hindoo) with anusvara instead of the half-न, both equally common.
Sense
1
:
a follower of Hinduism
noun, masculine/feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday conversation in Delhi-NCR, हिन्दू (hindoo) is used casually and matter-of-factly to describe religious identity, the way you might mention someone's name or hometown -- it usually doesn't carry the weight it can carry in political speech. You'll often hear it paired with other community names like मुसलमान (musalmaan, Muslim), सिख (sikh, Sikh), and ईसाई (iisaaii, Christian) when people are simply describing India's religious diversity.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume हिन्दू (hindoo) is a linguistic or national label like हिन्दी (hindii, Hindi language) or भारतीय (bhaartiiy, Indian) -- it refers strictly to religious identity, not language or nationality. 2) A Hindu person is not automatically a हिन्दी-भाषी (hindii-bhaashii, Hindi-speaker); the two words look similar but are unrelated in meaning.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे ज़्यादातर दोस्त हिन्दू हैं, पर कुछ मुसलमान और सिख भी हैं।
Most of my friends are Hindu, but a few are Muslim and Sikh too.
(mere zyaadaatar dost hindoo hain, par kuchh musalmaan aur sikh bhii hain।)
वह एक हिन्दू परिवार में पैदा हुआ था।
He was born into a Hindu family.
(vah ek hindoo parivaar men paidaa huaa thaa।)
इस मोहल्ले में हिन्दू और मुसलमान बरसों से साथ रहते आ रहे हैं।
In this neighborhood, Hindus and Muslims have been living together for years.
(is mohalle men hindoo aur musalmaan barson se saath rahte aa rahe hain।)
क्या तुम हिन्दू हो या ईसाई?
Are you Hindu or Christian?
(kyaa tum hindoo ho yaa iisaaii?)
भारत में हिन्दुओं की संख्या सबसे ज़्यादा है।
In India, the number of Hindus is the highest.
(bhaarat men hinduon kii sankhyaa sabse zyaadaa hai।)
अगर वह हिन्दू होता, तो शायद दिवाली भी मनाता।
If he were Hindu, he would perhaps celebrate Diwali too.
(agar vah hindoo hotaa, to shaayad divaalii bhii manaataa।)
उन दिनों गाँव में सारे हिन्दू एक ही मंदिर में पूजा करते थे।
In those days, all the Hindus in the village used to worship at the same temple.
(un dinon gaanv men saare hindoo ek hii mandir men poojaa karte the।)
जनगणना में हर व्यक्ति से पूछा जाता है कि वह हिन्दू है या किसी अन्य धर्म का।
In the census, every person is asked whether they are Hindu or of some other religion.
(jangannaa men har vyakti se poochhaa jaataa hai ki vah hindoo hai yaa kisii any dharm kaa।)
फ़ॉर्म में यह मत लिखना कि वह हिन्दू है, अभी पक्का नहीं है।
Don't write on the form that he's Hindu, it's not confirmed yet.
(form men yah mat likhnaa ki vah hindoo hai, abhii pakkaa nahiin hai।)
हो सकता है कि वह हिन्दू हो, नाम से कुछ पता नहीं चलता।
It's possible that he's Hindu, you can't tell anything from the name.
(ho saktaa hai ki vah hindoo ho, naam se kuchh pataa nahiin chaltaa।)
Sense
2
:
relating to Hinduism or Hindus
adjective
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll see this adjective everywhere in compound phrases like हिन्दू धर्म (hindoo dharm, 'Hinduism, lit. Hindu religion'), हिन्दू मंदिर (hindoo mandir, 'Hindu temple'), and हिन्दू परिवार (hindoo parivaar, 'Hindu family') -- it functions much like English 'Hindu' does as a modifier before a noun.
Sample Sentences:
हिन्दू धर्म भारत के सबसे पुराने धर्मों में से एक है।
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in India.
(hindoo dharm bhaarat ke sabse puraane dharmon men se ek hai।)
यह हिन्दू मंदिर पाँच सौ साल पुराना है।
This Hindu temple is five hundred years old.
(yah hindoo mandir paanch sau saal puraanaa hai।)
उसका जन्म एक हिन्दू परिवार में हुआ था।
He was born into a Hindu family.
(uskaa janm ek hindoo parivaar men huaa thaa।)
दिवाली हिन्दू परंपरा का सबसे बड़ा त्योहार माना जाता है।
Diwali is considered the biggest festival of Hindu tradition.
(divaalii hindoo parampraa kaa sabse badaa tyohaar maanaa jaataa hai।)
हिन्दू संस्कृति में गंगा नदी को पवित्र माना जाता है।
In Hindu culture, the Ganga river is considered sacred.
(hindoo sanskriti men gangaa nadii ko pavitr maanaa jaataa hai।)
काश हर हिन्दू शादी इतनी शांति से निपट जाए।
I wish every Hindu wedding got resolved this peacefully.
(kaash har hindoo shaadii itnii shaanti se nipat jaae।)
अगर वह हिन्दू रीति-रिवाज़ नहीं जानता, तो पंडित जी से पूछ लेता।
If he didn't know the Hindu customs, he would have asked the priest.
(agar vah hindoo riiti-rivaaz nahiin jaantaa, to pandit jii se poochh letaa।)
प्राचीन हिन्दू ग्रंथों में जीवन के गहरे रहस्य छिपे हैं।
Deep mysteries of life are hidden within the ancient Hindu scriptures.
(praachiin hindoo granthon men jiivan ke gahre rahasy chhipe hain।)
कृपया अपना हिन्दू नाम और गोत्र फॉर्म में लिखें।
Please write your Hindu name and clan lineage on the form.
(kripyaa apnaa hindoo naam aur gotr phorm men likhen।)
हिन्दू पंचांग के अनुसार यह महीना पवित्र माना जाता है।
According to the Hindu calendar, this month is considered sacred.
(hindoo panchaang ke anusaar yah mahiinaa pavitr maanaa jaataa hai।)
उस गाँव में हिन्दू और मुस्लिम परिवार सदियों से साथ रहते आए हैं।
In that village, Hindu and Muslim families have been living together for centuries.
(us gaanv men hindoo aur muslim parivaar sadiyon se saath rahte aae hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
हिन्दू
(hindoo)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
हिन्दू
(hindoo)
(pl.m/f.direct):
हिन्दूएँ
(hindooen)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
हिन्दूओं
(hindooon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
हिन्दू
(hindoo)