आकाशवाणी (aakaashvaanii)

noun A compound of आकाश (aakaash, 'sky') and वाणी (vaanii, 'voice/speech'), meaning literally 'voice from the sky.' It has two everyday senses: the mythological/divine 'voice from heaven' and, more commonly today, the name of India's state-run radio broadcaster.

Sense 1 : All India Radio (the state broadcaster)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: ऑल इंडिया रेडियो (ol indiyaa rediyo, common abbreviation-style usage), प्रसार भारती (prasaar bhaartii, the current corporate name, not fully interchangeable)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: For decades this was the only radio service in India, so for older generations the name itself is synonymous with the crackly voice of the morning news, cricket commentary, and film songs on the family radio set. The name was chosen deliberately for its poetic, almost divine resonance, tying the modern broadcaster back to the older mythological sense below.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume this is a generic word for 'radio' -- it isn't; रेडियो (rediyo) is the everyday word for the device or medium, while आकाशवाणी (aakaashvaanii) specifically names the government broadcasting service. 2) It is often heard in the fixed announcer's phrase यह आकाशवाणी है (yah aakaashvaanii hai, 'This is All India Radio'), which learners may not recognize as a set formula rather than an ordinary sentence.

Sample Sentences:

मेरे दादाजी हर सुबह आकाशवाणी सुनते थे। My grandfather used to listen to All India Radio every morning.

(mere daadaajii har subah aakaashvaanii sunte the।)

आकाशवाणी पर क्रिकेट कमेंट्री आ रही है। Cricket commentary is coming on All India Radio.

(aakaashvaanii par kriket kamentrii aa rahii hai।)

क्या तुमने आज आकाशवाणी पर समाचार सुना? Did you listen to the news on All India Radio today?

(kyaa tumne aaj aakaashvaanii par samaachaar sunaa?)

आकाशवाणी की स्थापना स्वतंत्रता से पहले हुई थी। All India Radio was established before independence.

(aakaashvaanii kii sthaapnaa svatantrtaa se pahle huii thii।)

यह गीत आकाशवाणी द्वारा प्रसारित किया गया था। This song was broadcast by All India Radio.

(yah giit aakaashvaanii dvaaraa prasaarit kiyaa gayaa thaa।)

अगर उस ज़माने में आकाशवाणी न होती, तो लोगों को खबरें कैसे मिलती? If All India Radio hadn't existed back then, how would people have gotten the news?

(agar us zamaane men aakaashvaanii n hotii, to logon ko khabren kaise miltii?)

बचपन में हम आकाशवाणी पर फ़रमाइशी गीत सुनने का इंतज़ार करते थे। In our childhood, we used to wait to hear requested songs on All India Radio.

(bachpan men ham aakaashvaanii par farmaaishii giit sunne kaa intzaar karte the।)

कल सुबह आकाशवाणी पर प्रधानमंत्री का भाषण प्रसारित होगा। The prime minister's speech will be broadcast on All India Radio tomorrow morning.

(kal subah aakaashvaanii par pradhaanmantrii kaa bhaashan prasaarit hogaa।)

आकाशवाणी, दिल्ली से आप यह समाचार सुन रहे हैं। This is All India Radio, Delhi, and you are listening to this news bulletin.

(aakaashvaanii, dillii se aap yah samaachaar sun rahe hain।)

पुराने रेडियो सेट पर आकाशवाणी की आवाज़ थोड़ी खरखराती थी, फिर भी हम मन लगाकर सुनते थे। All India Radio's voice used to crackle a bit on the old radio set, yet we would listen attentively.

(puraane rediyo set par aakaashvaanii kii aavaaz thodii kharakhraatii thii, phir bhii ham man lagaakar sunte the।)

Sense 2 : a voice from the heavens (divine/prophetic utterance)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: दिव्य वाणी (divy vaanii, literary)

Frequency: literary

Cultural Note: This is the older, mythological sense: in stories and scripture, an आकाशवाणी (aakaashvaanii) is an unseen, bodiless voice that speaks from the sky to announce fate or divine will, as happens at Krishna's birth in the Mahabharata tradition. A learner will mostly meet this sense in religious storytelling or references to mythology rather than daily conversation.

Sample Sentences:

तभी आकाशवाणी हुई कि इस बालक के हाथों कंस का वध होगा। Just then a voice from the heavens declared that this child would slay Kansa.

(tabhii aakaashvaanii huii ki is baalak ke haathon kans kaa vadh hogaa।)

आकाशवाणी ने राजा को उसके पापों का स्मरण कराया। The voice from the sky reminded the king of his sins.

(aakaashvaanii ne raajaa ko uske paapon kaa smaran karaayaa।)

कहते हैं कि जब भी धर्म का नाश होने लगता है, आकाशवाणी होती है। It is said that whenever righteousness begins to be destroyed, a voice speaks from the heavens.

(kahte hain ki jab bhii dharm kaa naash hone lagtaa hai, aakaashvaanii hotii hai।)

यह भविष्यवाणी किसी आकाशवाणी द्वारा की गई थी, ऐसा शास्त्रों में वर्णित है। This prophecy was made by a voice from the heavens, as described in the scriptures.

(yah bhavishyvaanii kisii aakaashvaanii dvaaraa kii gaii thii, aisaa shaastron men varnit hai।)

यदि उस समय आकाशवाणी न होती, तो राजा को सत्य का ज्ञान न होता। If the voice from the heavens had not spoken then, the king would never have known the truth.

(yadi us samay aakaashvaanii n hotii, to raajaa ko saty kaa gyaan n hotaa।)

क्या सचमुच आकाशवाणी जैसी कोई दिव्य शक्ति संभव है? Is a divine power like a voice from the heavens really possible?

(kyaa sachmuch aakaashvaanii jaisii koii divy shakti sambhav hai?)

ऐसा वर्णन है कि आकाशवाणी सुनकर सभी देवता आनंदित हो गए। It is narrated that upon hearing the voice from the heavens, all the gods rejoiced.

(aisaa varnan hai ki aakaashvaanii sunkar sabhii devtaa aanandit ho gae।)

पंडित जी कथा में बताते हैं कि आकाशवाणी ने वसुदेव से कृष्ण को मथुरा से बचाकर ले जाने को कहा। The pandit narrates in the story that the voice from the heavens told Vasudev to take Krishna away safely from Mathura.

(pandit jii kathaa men bataate hain ki aakaashvaanii ne vasudev se krishn ko mathuraa se bachaakar le jaane ko kahaa।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): आकाशवाणी (aakaashvaanii)

(sg.f.oblique): आकाशवाणी (aakaashvaanii)

(pl.f.direct): आकाशवाणियाँ (aakaashvaaniyaan)

(pl.f.oblique): आकाशवाणियों (aakaashvaaniyon)