लेखिका (lekhikaa)

noun A single, straightforward sense: a female writer/author. It is the feminine counterpart of लेखक (lekhak).
Sense 1 : female author/writer
noun, feminine
Synonyms: लेखक (lekhak, masculine form, used generically for mixed/unknown gender)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi has a productive pattern of forming feminine agent nouns with the suffix -इका (-ikaa) added to a masculine root (लेखक (lekhak) to लेखिका (lekhikaa), अभिनेता (abhinetaa) to अभिनेत्री (abhinetrii) being an irregular cousin of the same idea). In contemporary usage, especially in urban and media contexts, many women writers and readers alike are comfortable with either लेखक (lekhak) used generically or लेखिका (lekhikaa) used specifically, so you'll see both on book covers and bylines.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes default to लेखक (lekhak) even when clearly referring to a woman writer; when the writer's gender is known and female, लेखिका (lekhikaa) is the natural choice. 2) Remember the verb and adjectives agreeing with this noun must take feminine forms, e.g. वह एक अच्छी लेखिका है (vah ek achchhii lekhikaa hai, 'she is a good writer'), not the masculine अच्छा (achchhaa).
Sample Sentences:
वह एक मशहूर लेखिका है। She is a famous authoress.
(vah ek mashahoor lekhikaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस उपन्यास की लेखिका दिल्ली में रहती है। The female author of this novel lives in Delhi.
(is upanyaas kii lekhikaa dillii men rahtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस लेखिका ने अपनी नई किताब पर बहुत मेहनत की थी। That authoress had worked very hard on her new book.
(us lekhikaa ne apnii naii kitaab par bahut mehnat kii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम जानती हो कि यह कहानी किस लेखिका ने लिखी है? Do you know which authoress wrote this story?
(kyaa tum jaantii ho ki yah kahaanii kis lekhikaa ne likhii hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कार्यक्रम में तीन लेखिकाएँ अपनी रचनाएँ पढ़ रही थीं। Three female writers were reading their works at the event.
(kaaryakram men tiin lekhikaaen apnii rachnaaen padh rahii thiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह लेखिका न होती, तो शायद पत्रकार बनती। If she hadn't been a female writer, she might have become a journalist.
(agar vah lekhikaa n hotii, to shaayad patrkaar bantii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस पुस्तक मेले में कई युवा लेखिकाओं को सम्मानित किया जाएगा। Many young female authors will be honored at this book fair.
(is pustak mele men kaii yuvaa lekhikaaon ko sammaanit kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
काश मैं भी उस लेखिका की तरह इतनी अच्छी कहानियाँ लिख पाती। I wish I could write such good stories like that authoress.
(kaash main bhii us lekhikaa kii tarah itnii achchhii kahaaniyaan likh paatii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
समालोचकों ने उस लेखिका की भाषा-शैली की बहुत प्रशंसा की। The critics praised that female writer's style of language a great deal.
(samaalochkon ne us lekhikaa kii bhaashaa-shailii kii bahut prashansaa kii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस युग की कुछ लेखिकाओं ने स्त्री-शिक्षा को अपना विषय बनाया था। Some female writers of that era had made women's education their subject.
(us yug kii kuchh lekhikaaon ne strii-shikshaa ko apnaa vishay banaayaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): लेखिका (lekhikaa)
(sg.f.oblique): लेखिका (lekhikaa)
(pl.f.direct): लेखिकाएँ (lekhikaaen)
(pl.f.oblique): लेखिकाओं (lekhikaaon)