लिंग (ling)

noun Primarily the grammatical term for 'gender' (masculine/feminine) that learners meet when studying nouns and adjectives; also has a biological/anatomical sense meaning 'sex' or 'penis', and appears in the compound name शिवलिंग (shivling) for the iconic symbol of Shiva worship.
Sense 1 : grammatical gender
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you will see in every Hindi grammar book and classroom when discussing whether a noun is पुल्लिंग (pulling, 'masculine') or स्त्रीलिंग (striiling, 'feminine') -- both of those words are built directly on लिंग (ling).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this grammatical sense with biological sex when reading grammar explanations in Hindi; a teacher saying इस शब्द का लिंग (is shabd kaa ling, 'this word's gender') is talking purely about noun class (masculine/feminine), not about anything biological. 2) Note the phrase लिंग बदलना (ling badalnaa) used in grammar contexts to mean 'change the gender (of a word)' -- e.g. turning लड़का (ladkaa) into लड़की (ladkii).
Sample Sentences:
हिंदी में हर संज्ञा का एक लिंग होता है। In Hindi, every noun has a gender.
(hindii men har sangyaa kaa ek ling hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या आप जानते हैं कि 'किताब' का लिंग स्त्रीलिंग है? Do you know that the gender of 'kitaab' is feminine?
(kyaa aap jaante hain ki 'kitaab' kaa ling striiling hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शिक्षिका ने ब्लैकबोर्ड पर लिखा, "संज्ञा का लिंग पहचानो।" The teacher wrote on the blackboard, "Identify the gender of the noun."
(shikshikaa ne blaikbord par likhaa, "sangyaa kaa ling pahchaano।")
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस शब्द का लिंग पहचानो। Identify the gender of this word.
(is shabd kaa ling pahchaano।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर विशेषण का लिंग संज्ञा से न मिले, तो वाक्य गलत लगता है। If the gender of the adjective doesn't match the noun, the sentence sounds wrong.
(agar visheshan kaa ling sangyaa se n mile, to vaaky galat lagtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
परीक्षा में हमसे संज्ञाओं का लिंग बताने के लिए कहा गया था। In the exam, we were asked to state the gender of the nouns.
(pariikshaa men hamse sangyaaon kaa ling bataane ke lie kahaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अंग्रेज़ी के विपरीत, हिंदी की क्रिया भी लिंग के अनुसार बदलती है। Unlike English, the Hindi verb also changes according to gender.
(angrezii ke vipriit, hindii kii kriyaa bhii ling ke anusaar badaltii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश हिंदी में हर संज्ञा का लिंग नियम से तय होता, तो सीखना कितना आसान होता। If only the gender of every noun in Hindi were fixed by a rule, how easy learning would be.
(kaash hindii men har sangyaa kaa ling niyam se tay hotaa, to siikhnaa kitnaa aasaan hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
व्याकरण की किताब में लिंग के नियम पहले अध्याय में समझाए गए हैं। In the grammar book, the rules of gender are explained in the first chapter.
(vyaakran kii kitaab men ling ke niyam pahle adhyaay men samjhaae gae hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
उर्दू और हिंदी में कुछ शब्दों का लिंग अलग-अलग होता है। In Urdu and Hindi, some words have different genders.
(urdoo aur hindii men kuchh shabdon kaa ling alag-alag hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : biological sex / genitals
noun, masculine
Synonyms: जननांग (jannaang, formal/medical), योनि (yoni, anatomical, female)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear लिंग (ling) in medical or official contexts -- like forms asking लिंग: (ling:, 'sex:') alongside नाम (naam) and उम्र (umr) -- rather than in casual chat, where the topic is usually avoided or euphemized entirely.
Common Mistakes: 1) In everyday conversation about a baby's sex, लिंग (ling) is the neutral/medical-sounding word, as in बच्चे का लिंग (bachche kaa ling, 'the child's sex'); it is not used casually the way 'gender' might be in English small talk. 2) As the anatomical term for the male organ, it belongs to formal or medical register (doctor's office, biology class) rather than casual speech, where slang terms would be used instead.
Sample Sentences:
फॉर्म में नाम, उम्र और लिंग भरना ज़रूरी है। It is necessary to fill in the name, age, and sex on the form.
(phorm men naam, umr aur ling bharnaa zaroorii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने जन्म प्रमाण पत्र में बच्चे का लिंग लिख दिया। The doctor wrote down the child's sex on the birth certificate.
(doktar ne janm pramaan patr men bachche kaa ling likh diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस अस्पताल में लिंग जांच कराना गैरकानूनी है। Getting a sex determination test done at this hospital is illegal.
(is asptaal men ling jaanch karaanaa gairkaanoonii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया नीचे अपना नाम, पता और लिंग लिखें। Please write your name, address, and sex below.
(kripyaa niiche apnaa naam, pataa aur ling likhen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर लिंग का कॉलम खाली रह जाए, तो फॉर्म वापस भेज दिया जाएगा। If the sex column is left blank, the form will be sent back.
(agar ling kaa kolam khaalii rah jaae, to phorm vaapas bhej diyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
जनगणना के आंकड़ों में लिंग के आधार पर वर्गीकरण किया जाता है। In census data, classification is done on the basis of sex.
(jangannaa ke aankdon men ling ke aadhaar par vargiikran kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अल्ट्रासाउंड के दौरान लिंग बताना कानूनन मना है। Revealing the (fetus's) sex during an ultrasound is legally forbidden.
(altraasaaund ke dauraan ling bataanaa kaanoonan manaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुलिस रिपोर्ट में पीड़ित का नाम, उम्र और लिंग दर्ज किया गया। The victim's name, age, and sex were recorded in the police report.
(pulis riport men piidit kaa naam, umr aur ling darj kiyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
काश स्कूल के दाख़िले के फॉर्म में लिंग पूछना ज़रूरी न होता। I wish asking for sex on the school admission form weren't necessary.
(kaash skool ke daakhile ke phorm men ling poochhnaa zaroorii n hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : Shiva-linga (aniconic symbol of Shiva)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: शिवलिंग (shivling)
Frequency: devotional
Cultural Note: In a temple context, लिंग (ling) (usually said in full as शिवलिंग shivling) refers to the smooth, rounded stone form representing Shiva that you see worshipped in Shiva temples across India, often bathed in milk and water during puja; this devotional sense is completely distinct in feel from the grammar and anatomy senses, even though it shares the same word.
Sample Sentences:
मंदिर के गर्भगृह में शिवलिंग स्थापित है। The Shiva-linga is installed in the sanctum of the temple.
(mandir ke garbhgrih men shivling sthaapit hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पुजारी रोज़ सुबह लिंग पर जल और दूध चढ़ाते हैं। The priest offers water and milk on the linga every morning.
(pujaarii roz subah ling par jal aur doodh chadhaate hain।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
भक्त लिंग पर बेलपत्र चढ़ा रहे थे। The devotees were offering bel leaves on the linga.
(bhakt ling par belpatr chadhaa rahe the।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
सावन के महीने में शिवलिंग का विशेष श्रृंगार किया जाता है। In the month of Sawan, the Shiva-linga is specially adorned.
(saavan ke mahiine men shivling kaa vishesh shrringaar kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया लिंग को छूने से पहले हाथ धो लें। Please wash your hands before touching the linga.
(kripyaa ling ko chhoone se pahle haath dho len।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह मंदिर जाता तो शिवलिंग के दर्शन करता। If he had gone to the temple, he would have had darshan of the Shiva-linga.
(agar vah mandir jaataa to shivling ke darshan kartaa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह लिंग हज़ारों साल पुराना बताया जाता है। This linga is said to be thousands of years old.
(yah ling hazaaron saal puraanaa bataayaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काशी विश्वनाथ का लिंग ज्योतिर्लिंगों में से एक माना जाता है। The linga of Kashi Vishwanath is regarded as one of the jyotirlingas.
(kaashii vishvnaath kaa ling jyotirlingon men se ek maanaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
भोलेनाथ के लिंग पर बिल्वपत्र और धतूरा अर्पित करें। Offer bilva leaves and dhatura on Bholenath's linga.
(bholenaath ke ling par bilvpatr aur dhatooraa arpit karen।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): लिंग (ling)
(sg.m.oblique): लिंग (ling)
(pl.m.direct): लिंग (ling)
(pl.m.oblique): लिंगों (lingon)