स्नातक (snaatak)

noun/adjective A formal/educational word meaning 'graduate' (someone who has completed a bachelor's degree); it also works as an adjective describing that level of study, e.g. 'undergraduate.'
Sense 1 : a person who holds a bachelor's degree
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: ग्रेजुएट (grejuet, common in casual speech)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this word constantly on government forms, university notices, and matrimonial ads (लड़की स्नातक है, ladkii snaatak hai, 'the girl is a graduate') -- it belongs to the formal, paperwork register of Hindi rather than casual conversation, where ग्रेजुएट (grejuet) usually wins out.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use स्नातक (snaatak) loosely for any 'graduate,' but in Hindi academic usage it specifically means a bachelor's-degree holder; a master's-degree holder is स्नातकोत्तर (snaatkottar), not स्नातक (snaatak). 2) In everyday spoken Hindi, especially among younger people, ग्रेजुएट (grejuet) is actually more common than स्नातक (snaatak), which sounds more official or bureaucratic (used on forms, certificates, and in news).
Sample Sentences:
लड़की स्नातक है। The girl is a graduate.
(ladkii snaatak hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरा भाई पिछले साल स्नातक बना। My brother became a graduate last year.
(meraa bhaaii pichhle saal snaatak banaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस पद के लिए आवेदक का स्नातक होना आवश्यक है। It is necessary for the applicant to be a graduate for this post.
(is pad ke lie aavedak kaa snaatak honaa aavashyak hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फॉर्म में लिखा है कि केवल स्नातकों को ही बुलाया जाएगा। It is written on the form that only graduates will be called.
(phorm men likhaa hai ki keval snaatkon ko hii bulaayaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम स्नातक हो चुके हो? Have you already become a graduate?
(kyaa tum snaatak ho chuke ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैं भी स्नातक होता, तो यह नौकरी मिल जाती। If only I too were a graduate, I would have gotten this job.
(kaash main bhii snaatak hotaa, to yah naukrii mil jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
विवाह विज्ञापन में लिखा था, 'लड़का स्नातक और सुसंस्कृत हो।' The matrimonial ad said, 'the boy should be a graduate and well-mannered.'
(vivaah vigyaapan men likhaa thaa, 'ladkaa snaatak aur susanskrit ho।')
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
यदि आप स्नातक हैं, तो कृपया प्रमाण पत्र की प्रति संलग्न करें। If you are a graduate, please attach a copy of the certificate.
(yadi aap snaatak hain, to kripyaa pramaan patr kii prati sanlagn karen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हर साल हजारों स्नातक नौकरी की तलाश में शहर आते हैं। Every year thousands of graduates come to the city in search of jobs.
(har saal hajaaron snaatak naukrii kii talaash men shahar aate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सरकारी दस्तावेज़ में उन्हें स्नातक के रूप में दर्ज किया गया है। In the government document, he has been registered as a graduate.
(sarkaarii dastaavez men unhen snaatak ke roop men darj kiyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : relating to a bachelor's degree, undergraduate
adjective Used attributively before a noun, as in स्नातक कक्षा (snaatak kakshaa, 'undergraduate class') or स्नातक स्तर (snaatak star, 'undergraduate level').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll see this adjective sense paired with its counterpart स्नातकोत्तर (snaatkottar, 'postgraduate') on college prospectuses and admission forms all over Delhi-NCR -- the two words are the backbone of how Indian universities label degree levels.
Sample Sentences:
यह स्नातक कार्यक्रम तीन साल का है। This undergraduate program is three years long.
(yah snaatak kaaryakram tiin saal kaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कॉलेज ने स्नातक स्तर की सभी कक्षाएँ ऑनलाइन कर दी हैं। The college has made all undergraduate-level classes online.
(kolej ne snaatak star kii sabhii kakshaaen onlaain kar dii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फॉर्म में साफ लिखा है कि यह पाठ्यक्रम स्नातक छात्रों के लिए है, स्नातकोत्तर छात्रों के लिए नहीं। The form clearly states that this course is for undergraduate students, not postgraduate students.
(phorm men saaph likhaa hai ki yah paathyakram snaatak chhaatron ke lie hai, snaatkottar chhaatron ke lie nahiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर तुम स्नातक डिग्री ले रहे हो, तो यह स्कॉलरशिप तुम्हारे लिए ही है। If you're pursuing an undergraduate degree, this scholarship is just for you.
(agar tum snaatak digrii le rahe ho, to yah skolarship tumhaare lie hii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पिछले साल हमारी यूनिवर्सिटी में स्नातक दाखिले बहुत बढ़ गए थे। Last year, undergraduate admissions increased a lot at our university.
(pichhle saal hamaarii yoonivarsitii men snaatak daakhile bahut badh gae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया स्नातक और स्नातकोत्तर विवरण अलग-अलग कॉलम में भरें। Please fill in the undergraduate and postgraduate details in separate columns.
(kripyaa snaatak aur snaatkottar vivran alag-alag kolam men bharen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे स्नातक स्तर पर ही सही मार्गदर्शन मिलता। I wish I had gotten proper guidance right at the undergraduate level.
(kaash mujhe snaatak star par hii sahii maargdarshan miltaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
विश्वविद्यालय प्रशासन चाहता है कि स्नातक पाठ्यक्रम की फीस अगले साल से बढ़ाई जाए। The university administration wants the undergraduate course fees to be increased starting next year.
(vishvvidyaalay prashaasan chaahtaa hai ki snaatak paathyakram kii phiis agle saal se badhaaii jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
दिल्ली के ज़्यादातर कॉलेजों में स्नातक प्रवेश परीक्षा के आधार पर होता है। In most colleges of Delhi, undergraduate admission happens based on an entrance exam.
(dillii ke zyaadaatar kolejon men snaatak pravesh pariikshaa ke aadhaar par hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने स्नातक शिक्षा पूरी करने के बाद विदेश जाने की योजना बनाई। He made a plan to go abroad after completing his undergraduate education.
(usne snaatak shikshaa poorii karne ke baad videsh jaane kii yojnaa banaaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct): स्नातक (snaatak)
(sg.m/f.oblique): स्नातक (snaatak)
(pl.m/f.direct): स्नातकें (snaatken)
(pl.m/f.oblique): स्नातकों (snaatkon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: स्नातक (snaatak)