शिक्षा (shikshaa)
noun
A single-sense noun meaning 'education' -- covering both the abstract idea of schooling/instruction and, more formally, a 'lesson' drawn from experience.
Sense
1
:
education, schooling, instruction
noun, feminine
Synonyms: तालीम (taaliim, everyday, especially in spoken/Urdu-influenced Hindi), शिक्षण (shikshan, formal, refers more to the act of teaching)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: शिक्षा (shikshaa) is the word you will see everywhere in Indian civic life -- on ministry signboards (शिक्षा मंत्रालय, shikshaa mantraalay, 'Ministry of Education'), in NGO slogans, and in every parent's conversation about their children's future. It carries a slightly formal, almost reverent weight, similar to how English speakers treat 'education' in policy contexts rather than casual chat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse शिक्षा (shikshaa) with शिक्षक (shikshak, 'teacher') because of the shared root -- शिक्षा is the education itself, not the person imparting it. 2) When talking about a field of study or level of education, शिक्षा often pairs with प्राप्त करना (praapt karnaa, 'to obtain') or दिलाना (dilaanaa, 'to have someone given'), not सीखना (siikhnaa), which is reserved for the act of learning a specific skill.
Sample Sentences:
हर बच्चे को शिक्षा का अधिकार है।
Every child has the right to education.
(har bachche ko shikshaa kaa adhikaar hai।)
सरकार ने शिक्षा मंत्रालय के लिए नया बजट पेश किया।
The government presented a new budget for the Ministry of Education.
(sarkaar ne shikshaa mantraalay ke lie nayaa bajat pesh kiyaa।)
मेरे माता-पिता हमेशा कहते थे कि शिक्षा सबसे बड़ी दौलत है।
My parents always used to say that education is the greatest wealth.
(mere maataa-pitaa hameshaa kahte the ki shikshaa sabse badii daulat hai।)
अगर उसे अच्छी शिक्षा मिलती तो वह आज डॉक्टर होता।
If he had received a good education, he would be a doctor today.
(agar use achchhii shikshaa miltii to vah aaj doktar hotaa।)
लड़कियों को शिक्षा दी जानी चाहिए।
Girls should be given education.
(ladkiyon ko shikshaa dii jaanii chaahie।)
गाँव में सबको शिक्षा का महत्व समझाओ।
Explain the importance of education to everyone in the village.
(gaanv men sabko shikshaa kaa mahatv samjhaao।)
इस एनजीओ का मकसद है कि हर बच्चे तक शिक्षा पहुँचे।
This NGO's aim is that education should reach every child.
(is enjiio kaa maksad hai ki har bachche tak shikshaa pahunche।)
देश की तरक्की शिक्षा पर निर्भर करती है।
The country's progress depends on education.
(desh kii tarakkii shikshaa par nirbhar kartii hai।)
वह इस समय दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय से शिक्षा प्राप्त कर रहा है।
He is currently receiving his education from Delhi University.
(vah is samay dillii vishvvidyaalay se shikshaa praapt kar rahaa hai।)
उन्होंने विदेश में शिक्षा हासिल करने का सपना देखा था।
He had dreamed of getting his education abroad.
(unhonne videsh men shikshaa haasil karne kaa sapnaa dekhaa thaa।)
समाज में शिक्षा के प्रचार-प्रसार के बिना बदलाव संभव नहीं।
Without the spread and promotion of education in society, change is not possible.
(samaaj men shikshaa ke prachaar-prasaar ke binaa badlaav sambhav nahiin।)
Sense
2
:
a lesson, moral teaching (drawn from an experience or story)
noun, feminine Common in the fixed phrase शिक्षा लेना (shikshaa lenaa, 'to take a lesson from something') and शिक्षा देना (shikshaa denaa, 'to teach someone a lesson'), often used about stories, fables, or hard experiences rather than formal schooling.
Synonyms: सीख (siikh, more everyday and concrete, often used for the moral of a story), नसीहत (nasiihat, carries a tone of advice or admonition)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the sense you meet at the end of a Panchatantra (panchtantr) fable or a grandmother's bedtime story, where the closing line is often something like इस कहानी से हमें यह शिक्षा मिलती है (is kahaanii se hamen yah shikshaa miltii hai, 'this story teaches us this lesson'). It is the same word as 'education' above, but here it points to a single moral takeaway rather than years of schooling.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to सीखना (siikhnaa, 'to learn') when they mean 'to draw a lesson,' but the natural collocation here is शिक्षा लेना (shikshaa lenaa), not शिक्षा सीखना (shikshaa siikhnaa), which sounds odd.
Sample Sentences:
इस कहानी से हमें यह शिक्षा मिलती है कि सच्चाई की हमेशा जीत होती है।
This story teaches us the lesson that truth always wins.
(is kahaanii se hamen yah shikshaa miltii hai ki sachchaaii kii hameshaa jiit hotii hai।)
दादी ने कहानी खत्म करके पूछा, 'बताओ, इससे क्या शिक्षा मिली?'
Grandmother finished the story and asked, 'Tell me, what lesson did we get from this?'
(daadii ne kahaanii khatm karke poochhaa, 'bataao, isse kyaa shikshaa milii?')
पंचतंत्र की हर कहानी के पीछे कोई न कोई शिक्षा छिपी होती है।
Behind every Panchatantra story, some lesson or other is hidden.
(panchtantr kii har kahaanii ke piichhe koii n koii shikshaa chhipii hotii hai।)
इस घटना से उसे एक बड़ी शिक्षा मिली।
He learned a big lesson from this incident.
(is ghatnaa se use ek badii shikshaa milii।)
बच्चों, इस कहानी की शिक्षा हमेशा याद रखना।
Children, always remember the lesson of this story.
(bachchon, is kahaanii kii shikshaa hameshaa yaad rakhnaa।)
काश हमने अपनी हार से यह शिक्षा पहले ही ली होती।
If only we had learned this lesson from our defeat earlier.
(kaash hamne apnii haar se yah shikshaa pahle hii lii hotii।)
हो सकता है इस अनुभव से उसे कोई शिक्षा मिल जाए।
It's possible he might get some lesson from this experience.
(ho saktaa hai is anubhav se use koii shikshaa mil jaae।)
इस दुर्घटना से यह शिक्षा दी जाती है कि सावधानी कभी मत छोड़ो।
This lesson is imparted from the accident: never abandon caution.
(is durghatnaa se yah shikshaa dii jaatii hai ki saavdhaanii kabhii mat chhodo।)
गुरुजी ने कहा कि हर असफलता अपने साथ एक शिक्षा लेकर आती है।
The teacher said that every failure brings a lesson along with it.
(gurujii ne kahaa ki har asphaltaa apne saath ek shikshaa lekar aatii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
शिक्षा
(shikshaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
शिक्षा
(shikshaa)
(pl.f.direct):
शिक्षाएँ
(shikshaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
शिक्षाओं
(shikshaaon)