प्रकार (prakaar)
noun/adverb
A single-sense word meaning 'type/kind/way' -- used both as a countable noun and inside a fixed set of adverbial phrases meaning 'in this/that way'.
Sense
1
:
type, kind, sort
noun, masculine
Synonyms: तरह (tarah), किस्म (kism), भाँति (bhaanti, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: प्रकार (prakaar) is the word you meet on packaging, in school textbooks, and in official Hindi -- 'yeh kitne prakar ke hote hain' is classic classroom phrasing. तरह (tarah) is its everyday spoken twin; reach for प्रकार when the tone is a notch more formal or explanatory.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to तरह (tarah) in speech and forget प्रकार (prakaar) is the go-to word in written, formal, or explanatory Hindi -- news, textbooks, official notices. 2) The counting pattern is 'number + प्रकार + के + noun' (e.g., तीन प्रकार के फल (tiin prakaar ke phal, 'three kinds of fruit')) -- learners sometimes drop के (ke) by analogy with English.
Sample Sentences:
यह फल कितने प्रकार के होते हैं?
How many types of this fruit are there?
(yah phal kitne prakaar ke hote hain?)
बाज़ार में तीन प्रकार के चावल मिलते हैं।
Three types of rice are available in the market.
(baazaar men tiin prakaar ke chaaval milte hain।)
शिक्षक ने बताया कि पौधे कितने प्रकार के होते हैं।
The teacher explained how many types of plants there are.
(shikshak ne bataayaa ki paudhe kitne prakaar ke hote hain।)
इस प्रकार की समस्याओं का समाधान आसान नहीं होता।
The solution to this kind of problem is not easy.
(is prakaar kii samasyaaon kaa samaadhaan aasaan nahiin hotaa।)
कृपया बताइए कि आपको किस प्रकार की सहायता चाहिए।
Please tell me what type of help you need.
(kripyaa bataaie ki aapko kis prakaar kii sahaaytaa chaahie।)
इस प्रकार के व्यवहार की उम्मीद नहीं थी।
This kind of behavior was not expected.
(is prakaar ke vyavahaar kii ummiid nahiin thii।)
अगर वह इस प्रकार का काम करता, तो सब खुश होते।
If he had done this kind of work, everyone would have been happy.
(agar vah is prakaar kaa kaam kartaa, to sab khush hote।)
कंपनी विभिन्न प्रकार के उत्पाद बनाती है।
The company manufactures various types of products.
(kampnii vibhinn prakaar ke utpaad banaatii hai।)
मुझे नहीं पता था कि इतने प्रकार की मिठाइयाँ बनाई जाती हैं।
I didn't know that so many types of sweets are made.
(mujhe nahiin pataa thaa ki itne prakaar kii mithaaiyaan banaaii jaatii hain।)
पैकेट पर लिखा है कि यह किस प्रकार का कपड़ा है।
It's written on the packet what type of fabric this is.
(paiket par likhaa hai ki yah kis prakaar kaa kapdaa hai।)
मनुष्यों में अनेक प्रकार के स्वभाव पाए जाते हैं।
Many types of temperaments are found among human beings.
(manushyon men anek prakaar ke svabhaav paae jaate hain।)
Sense
2
:
in this/that way, manner
adverb Occurs in fixed frames such as इस प्रकार (is prakaar, 'in this way, thus') and किस प्रकार (kis prakaar, 'in what way, how') -- functions as a formal, writerly substitute for ऐसे (aise) or कैसे (kaise).
Synonyms: तरह से (tarah se), भाँति (bhaanti, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear इस प्रकार (is prakaar) constantly in news broadcasts and formal speeches, almost like a written-register cousin of ऐसे (aise) or इस तरह (is tarah) -- it signals 'and so, in this manner' when someone is summing up or explaining a process.
Common Mistakes: 1) इस प्रकार (is prakaar) is common in essays and speeches as a connector meaning 'thus/in this manner' -- learners often reach for इसलिए (islie, 'therefore') instead, but the two aren't interchangeable: इस प्रकार describes manner, इसलिए gives a reason.
Sample Sentences:
इस प्रकार सरकार ने नई योजना की घोषणा की।
In this way, the government announced the new scheme.
(is prakaar sarkaar ne naii yojnaa kii ghoshnaa kii।)
इस प्रकार हम इस समस्या का समाधान कर सकते हैं।
In this way we can solve this problem.
(is prakaar ham is samasyaa kaa samaadhaan kar sakte hain।)
उस प्रकार काम करने से समय की बचत होती है।
Working in that way saves time.
(us prakaar kaam karne se samay kii bachat hotii hai।)
अध्यक्ष ने अपना भाषण इस प्रकार समाप्त किया कि सभी तालियाँ बजाने लगे।
The chairman ended his speech in such a way that everyone started clapping.
(adhyaksh ne apnaa bhaashan is prakaar samaapt kiyaa ki sabhii taaliyaan bajaane lage।)
इस प्रकार की बातें बार-बार मत दोहराओ, बल्कि सीधे मुद्दे पर आओ।
Don't keep repeating things in this manner -- come straight to the point.
(is prakaar kii baaten baar-baar mat dohraao, balki siidhe mudde par aao।)
यदि तुम उस प्रकार बात करते तो शायद वह मान जाता।
If you had spoken in that way, he might have agreed.
(yadi tum us prakaar baat karte to shaayad vah maan jaataa।)
रिपोर्ट में सारी घटनाएँ इस प्रकार दर्ज की गई हैं।
All the events have been recorded in this way in the report.
(riport men saarii ghatnaaen is prakaar darj kii gaii hain।)
प्रधानमंत्री ने इस प्रकार कहा: 'हमें मिलकर काम करना होगा।'
The Prime Minister said thus: 'We will have to work together.'
(pradhaanmantrii ne is prakaar kahaa: 'hamen milkar kaam karnaa hogaa।')
काश वह भी उस प्रकार सोचता, तो झगड़ा ही न होता।
If only he too had thought in that way, there would have been no quarrel at all.
(kaash vah bhii us prakaar sochtaa, to jhagdaa hii n hotaa।)
अगली बार से इस प्रकार की गलती न हो, इसका ध्यान रखा जाए।
Care should be taken so that such a mistake does not happen next time.
(aglii baar se is prakaar kii galtii n ho, iskaa dhyaan rakhaa jaae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
प्रकार
(prakaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
प्रकार
(prakaar)
(pl.m.direct):
प्रकार
(prakaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
प्रकारों
(prakaaron)