वाक्य (vaaky)

noun A single, straightforward grammatical term: a 'sentence' in the language sense. Comes up mostly in classroom talk, grammar books, and phrases like 'sentence में इस्तेमाल करना' (sentens men istemaal karnaa, 'to use in a sentence').
Sense 1 : sentence (grammatical unit)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this word constantly in Hindi classrooms and textbooks -- teachers love asking students to बनाना (banaanaa, 'to make') a वाक्य (vaaky) using a new word, which is exactly the kind of exercise this pipeline is built around. Outside of school and grammar contexts, casual conversation leans heavily on the borrowed English 'sentence.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for शब्द (shabd, 'word') when they mean a full sentence -- keep वाक्य (vaaky) for the whole sentence and शब्द (shabd) for a single word. 2) In everyday spoken Hindi, especially among younger or English-educated speakers in Delhi-NCR, it is very common to just say 'sentence' (सेंटेंस, sentens) instead of वाक्य (vaaky); वाक्य (vaaky) still dominates in school textbooks, grammar instruction, and formal writing.
Sample Sentences:
इस शब्द से एक वाक्य बनाओ। Make a sentence with this word.
(is shabd se ek vaaky banaao।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
टीचर ने कहा कि हर बच्चा एक वाक्य बनाकर सुनाए। The teacher said that every child should make a sentence and recite it.
(tiichar ne kahaa ki har bachchaa ek vaaky banaakar sunaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह वाक्य व्याकरण की दृष्टि से गलत है। This sentence is grammatically incorrect.
(yah vaaky vyaakran kii drishti se galat hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम इस वाक्य का मतलब समझ रहे हो? Do you understand the meaning of this sentence?
(kyaa tum is vaaky kaa matlab samajh rahe ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे यह शब्द पहले पता होता, तो मैं एक अच्छा वाक्य बना सकता था। If I had known this word earlier, I could have made a good sentence.
(agar mujhe yah shabd pahle pataa hotaa, to main ek achchhaa vaaky banaa saktaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
किताब में हर पाठ के बाद नए वाक्य बनाने का अभ्यास दिया जाता है। After every lesson in the book, an exercise is given for making new sentences.
(kitaab men har paath ke baad nae vaaky banaane kaa abhyaas diyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बच्चे ने ब्लैकबोर्ड पर एक लंबा वाक्य लिखा। The child wrote a long sentence on the blackboard.
(bachche ne blaikbord par ek lambaa vaaky likhaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
परीक्षा में पूछा गया था कि इस वाक्य में क्रिया कौन सी है। It had been asked in the exam which word in this sentence is the verb.
(pariikshaa men poochhaa gayaa thaa ki is vaaky men kriyaa kaun sii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम इस पूरे वाक्य को दोबारा लिखो। I want you to rewrite this whole sentence.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki tum is poore vaaky ko dobaaraa likho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यार, यह सेंटेंस थोड़ा कन्फ्यूजिंग है, दोबारा एक्सप्लेन कर। Dude, this sentence is a bit confusing, explain it again.
(yaar, yah sentens thodaa kanphyoojing hai, dobaaraa eksaplen kar।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगले सत्र में छात्रों को जटिल वाक्य बनाना सिखाया जाएगा। In the next session, students will be taught how to construct complex sentences.
(agle satr men chhaatron ko jatil vaaky banaanaa sikhaayaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): वाक्य (vaaky)
(sg.m.oblique): वाक्य (vaaky)
(pl.m.direct): वाक्य (vaaky)
(pl.m.oblique): वाक्यों (vaakyon)