कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar)

noun A compound noun meaning 'story-writer' or 'storyteller,' built from कहानी (kahaanii, 'story') plus the agentive suffix -कार (kaar, 'maker/doer').
Sense 1 : story writer, author of stories
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: लेखक (lekhak, writer generally), कथाकार (kathaakaar, slightly more literary term)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word shows up constantly in Hindi literary culture -- book covers, school textbooks, and author bios all use कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar) to credit the person who wrote the कहानी (kahaanii) you just read. The -कार (kaar) suffix is productive and shows up in many other profession words like चित्रकार (chitrkaar, 'painter') and गीतकार (giitkaar, 'lyricist'), so once you know this word, you'll start recognizing the pattern everywhere.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar) loosely for anyone who tells oral stories, but it is used almost exclusively for someone who writes short stories or fiction professionally, similar to how 'novelist' is reserved for a specific craft in English. 2) Don't confuse with उपन्यासकार (upanyaaskaar), which specifically means 'novelist' -- कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar) is for short-story writers.
Sample Sentences:
प्रेमचंद एक महान कहानीकार थे। Premchand was a great storyteller.
(premchand ek mahaan kahaaniikaar the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह किताब एक नए कहानीकार ने लिखी है। This book has been written by a new storyteller.
(yah kitaab ek nae kahaaniikaar ne likhii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह बड़ा होकर कहानीकार बनना चाहता है। He wants to become a storyteller when he grows up.
(vah badaa hokar kahaaniikaar bannaa chaahtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
किताब के पीछे कहानीकार का छोटा परिचय दिया गया है। A short introduction to the story-writer is given at the back of the book.
(kitaab ke piichhe kahaaniikaar kaa chhotaa parichay diyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर मैं कहानीकार होता, तो हर किरदार पर मेहनत करता। If I were a storyteller, I would work hard on every character.
(agar main kahaaniikaar hotaa, to har kirdaar par mehnat kartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
स्कूल की किताब में हर कहानी के नीचे कहानीकार का नाम लिखा रहता है। In the school textbook, the storyteller's name is written below every story.
(skool kii kitaab men har kahaanii ke niiche kahaaniikaar kaa naam likhaa rahtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैं भी एक मशहूर कहानीकार होता। I wish I too were a famous storyteller.
(kaash main bhii ek mashahoor kahaaniikaar hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उस कहानीकार ने अपनी हर रचना में समाज का दर्द दिखाया। That storyteller showed society's pain in every one of his works.
(us kahaaniikaar ne apnii har rachnaa men samaaj kaa dard dikhaayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पुरस्कार समारोह में देश के जाने-माने कहानीकारों को बुलाया जाएगा। Well-known storytellers from across the country will be invited to the award ceremony.
(puraskaar samaaroh men desh ke jaane-maane kahaaniikaaron ko bulaayaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
एक अच्छा कहानीकार बनो, नकल मत करो। Become a good storyteller, don't copy others.
(ek achchhaa kahaaniikaar bano, nakal mat karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct): कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar)
(sg.m/f.oblique): कहानीकार (kahaaniikaar)
(pl.m/f.direct): कहानीकारें (kahaaniikaaren)
(pl.m/f.oblique): कहानीकारों (kahaaniikaaron)