संस्कृत (sanskrit)
noun/adjective
Two main uses: as a proper noun, the name of the Sanskrit language (sanskrit); as an adjective, meaning 'refined, cultured, processed/purified' -- the literal sense behind the language's name.
Sense
1
:
the Sanskrit language
noun, feminine
Synonyms: देववाणी (devvaanii, literary), संस्कृत भाषा (sanskrit bhaashaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Every Hindi speaker meets संस्कृत (sanskrit) in school as the ancient language of the Vedas, Sanskrit dramas, and countless mantras still recited at weddings and pujas today. It is one of India's 22 scheduled languages and is taught as a compulsory subject in many schools, though almost no one speaks it as a mother tongue anymore -- it lives on mainly in ritual, scholarship, and as the root-stock for a huge share of modern Hindi vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat संस्कृत (sanskrit) as an adjective meaning 'Sanskrit' (as in 'Sanskrit word'), but for that you need the adjectival form संस्कृत का (sanskrit kaa) or संस्कृत-भाषा का (sanskrit-bhaashaa kaa) -- e.g. संस्कृत का शब्द (sanskrit kaa shabd, 'a Sanskrit word'), not a direct compounding.
Sample Sentences:
संस्कृत दुनिया की सबसे पुरानी भाषाओं में से एक है।
Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world.
(sanskrit duniyaa kii sabse puraanii bhaashaaon men se ek hai।)
हम स्कूल में हर हफ़्ते संस्कृत की कक्षा लेते थे।
We used to have a Sanskrit class every week in school.
(ham skool men har hafte sanskrit kii kakshaa lete the।)
पंडित जी शादी में संस्कृत के मंत्र पढ़ रहे थे।
The priest was reciting Sanskrit mantras at the wedding.
(pandit jii shaadii men sanskrit ke mantr padh rahe the।)
क्या तुमने कभी संस्कृत सीखी है?
Have you ever learned Sanskrit?
(kyaa tumne kabhii sanskrit siikhii hai?)
अगली बार मैं संस्कृत साहित्य पर एक किताब पढ़ूँगा।
Next time I will read a book on Sanskrit literature.
(aglii baar main sanskrit saahity par ek kitaab padhoongaa।)
काश मुझे संस्कृत आती।
I wish I knew Sanskrit.
(kaash mujhe sanskrit aatii।)
बहुत सारे हिंदी शब्द संस्कृत से बने हैं।
A lot of Hindi words are derived from Sanskrit.
(bahut saare hindii shabd sanskrit se bane hain।)
इस विद्यालय में संस्कृत को अनिवार्य विषय के रूप में पढ़ाया जाता है।
In this school, Sanskrit is taught as a compulsory subject.
(is vidyaalay men sanskrit ko anivaary vishay ke roop men padhaayaa jaataa hai।)
यदि तुम वेदों को मूल रूप में समझना चाहते हो, तो संस्कृत सीखो।
If you want to understand the Vedas in their original form, learn Sanskrit.
(yadi tum vedon ko mool roop men samajhnaa chaahte ho, to sanskrit siikho।)
संस्कृत भारत की बाईस अनुसूचित भाषाओं में से एक है।
Sanskrit is one of India's twenty-two scheduled languages.
(sanskrit bhaarat kii baaiis anusoochit bhaashaaon men se ek hai।)
आज लगभग कोई भी संस्कृत को अपनी मातृभाषा के रूप में नहीं बोलता।
Today almost no one speaks Sanskrit as their mother tongue.
(aaj lagbhag koii bhii sanskrit ko apnii maatribhaashaa ke roop men nahiin boltaa।)
Sense
2
:
refined, cultured, purified
adjective This is the literal, older sense of the word -- 'made complete/refined' -- from which the language's name derives; the language was seen as the 'refined' or 'perfected' speech, in contrast to the natural, unpolished प्राकृत (praakrit, 'natural/vernacular') languages.
Synonyms: परिष्कृत (parishkrit, literary), सुसंस्कृत (susanskrit), शिष्ट (shisht)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Knowing that संस्कृत (sanskrit) literally means 'well-made' or 'refined' unlocks a lot of related vocabulary: संस्कार (sanskaar, 'refinement, upbringing, rite') and संस्कृति (sanskriti, 'culture') all share this root. So when Hindi speakers talk about a person having अच्छे संस्कार (achchhe sanskaar, 'good upbringing/values'), they are drawing on the same idea of being 'shaped and refined' that gives Sanskrit its name.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी भाषा बहुत संस्कृत और शालीन है।
His language is very refined and dignified.
(uskii bhaashaa bahut sanskrit aur shaaliin hai।)
अच्छे परिवार में पले लोग अक्सर संस्कृत व्यवहार दिखाते हैं।
People raised in a good family often display refined behavior.
(achchhe parivaar men pale log aksar sanskrit vyavahaar dikhaate hain।)
शिक्षा और संगीत ने उसके व्यक्तित्व को संस्कृत बना दिया था।
Education and music had made his personality refined.
(shikshaa aur sangiit ne uske vyaktitv ko sanskrit banaa diyaa thaa।)
यदि उसकी परवरिश ऐसी होती, तो वह इतना संस्कृत न होता।
If his upbringing had not been like that, he would not have been so refined.
(yadi uskii paravrish aisii hotii, to vah itnaa sanskrit n hotaa।)
अपने विचारों को संस्कृत बनाओ, तभी समाज में सम्मान मिलेगा।
Refine your thoughts, only then will you gain respect in society.
(apne vichaaron ko sanskrit banaao, tabhii samaaj men sammaan milegaa।)
गुरुजी चाहते थे कि उनके शिष्यों का चरित्र संस्कृत हो।
The teacher wished that his disciples' character be refined.
(gurujii chaahte the ki unke shishyon kaa charitr sanskrit ho।)
प्राचीन काल में राजदरबारों में संस्कृत बोलचाल की बहुत प्रतिष्ठा थी।
In ancient times, refined speech was held in great esteem in royal courts.
(praachiin kaal men raajdarbaaron men sanskrit bolchaal kii bahut pratishthaa thii।)
अच्छे संस्कारों से मनुष्य का स्वभाव संस्कृत हो जाता है।
Through good upbringing, a person's nature becomes refined.
(achchhe sanskaaron se manushy kaa svabhaav sanskrit ho jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
संस्कृत
(sanskrit)
(sg.f.oblique):
संस्कृत
(sanskrit)
(pl.f.direct):
संस्कृतें
(sanskriten)
(pl.f.oblique):
संस्कृतों
(sanskriton)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
संस्कृत
(sanskrit)