विधि (vidhi)

noun Mainly means a 'method' or 'procedure' for doing something, and by extension a formal 'rule' or 'law'; also has a specialized grammatical sense (the mood of a verb) and a devotional/ritual sense ('the prescribed rite'). Inline: विधि (vidhi).
Sense 1 : method, way, procedure
noun, feminine
Synonyms: तरीका (tariikaa), तरीक़ा (tariiqaa, variant form), उपाय (upaay, slightly more 'means/remedy' than 'method'), प्रक्रिया (prakriyaa, leans toward 'process')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Open any Hindi cookbook or product manual and you will see विधि (vidhi) heading the instructions section, right after सामग्री (saamagrii, 'ingredients') -- it has a slightly formal, written-instruction feel compared to the everyday तरीका (tariikaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for तरीका (tariikaa) by default; विधि (vidhi) is the word you will see in written instructions, recipes, and manuals rather than casual speech, e.g. खाना बनाने की विधि (khaanaa banaane kii vidhi, 'the method/recipe for cooking food'). 2) It takes की (kii) before the thing it is a method 'of', not का (kaa) or के (ke) by default -- agreement follows विधि (vidhi)'s own feminine gender.
Sample Sentences:
इस व्यंजन की विधि बहुत आसान है। The method for this dish is very easy.
(is vyanjan kii vidhi bahut aasaan hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कृपया नीचे दी गई विधि का पालन करें। Please follow the method given below.
(kripyaa niiche dii gaii vidhi kaa paalan karen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
सामग्री के बाद विधि लिखी होती है। The method is written after the ingredients.
(saamagrii ke baad vidhi likhii hotii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मैंने केक बनाने की विधि इंटरनेट से सीखी। I learned the method for making a cake from the internet.
(mainne kek banaane kii vidhi intarnet se siikhii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें इस मशीन को चलाने की विधि पता है? Do you know the procedure for operating this machine?
(kyaa tumhen is mashiin ko chalaane kii vidhi pataa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर विधि सही से समझी जाती, तो प्रयोग सफल होता। If the method had been understood correctly, the experiment would have succeeded.
(agar vidhi sahii se samjhii jaatii, to prayog saphal hotaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
मैनुअल में स्थापना की पूरी विधि दी गई है। The complete installation method is given in the manual.
(mainual men sthaapnaa kii poorii vidhi dii gaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
वैज्ञानिक नई विधि विकसित करने में जुटे हैं। The scientists are engrossed in developing a new method.
(vaigyaanik naii vidhi viksit karne men jute hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद यह विधि उतनी कारगर न हो। Perhaps this method may not be that effective.
(shaayad yah vidhi utnii kaargar n ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पुरानी विधि की जगह अब नई विधि अपनाई जाती है। Instead of the old method, the new method is now adopted.
(puraanii vidhi kii jagah ab naii vidhi apnaaii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शिक्षक ने समस्या हल करने की विधि समझाई। The teacher explained the method for solving the problem.
(shikshak ne samasyaa hal karne kii vidhi samjhaaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : law, rule, statute
noun, feminine
Synonyms: नियम (niyam), क़ानून (qaanoon), कानून (kaanoon, variant form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense survives mainly in compound and formal terms rather than loose conversation -- विधि विभाग (vidhi vibhaag, 'law department'), विधि आयोग (vidhi aayog, 'Law Commission'), विधायक (vidhaayak, 'lawmaker, MLA') is built on this very root. It signals an official, legalistic register rather than the everyday क़ानून (qaanoon).
Sample Sentences:
विधि आयोग ने नए क़ानून का प्रस्ताव तैयार किया है। The Law Commission has prepared a proposal for the new law.
(vidhi aayog ne nae qaanoon kaa prastaav taiyaar kiyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
विधि विभाग इस मामले की जांच कर रहा है। The law department is investigating this matter.
(vidhi vibhaag is maamle kii jaanch kar rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह संशोधन विधि के विरुद्ध माना जाएगा। This amendment will be considered against the law.
(yah sanshodhan vidhi ke viruddh maanaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
विधि द्वारा प्रदत्त अधिकारों की रक्षा करना न्यायालय का कर्तव्य है। It is the court's duty to protect the rights granted by law.
(vidhi dvaaraa pradatt adhikaaron kii rakshaa karnaa nyaayaalay kaa kartavy hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
यदि विधि का पालन होता, तो यह विवाद ही न उठता। If the law had been followed, this dispute would never have arisen.
(yadi vidhi kaa paalan hotaa, to yah vivaad hii n uthtaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सरकार से अनुरोध है कि इस विषय पर नई विधि बनाई जाए। It is requested that a new law be made on this subject.
(sarkaar se anurodh hai ki is vishay par naii vidhi banaaii jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
उन्होंने विधि की पढ़ाई दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय से की थी। He had studied law at Delhi University.
(unhonne vidhi kii padhaaii dillii vishvvidyaalay se kii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
विधायक शब्द उसी विधि से बना है जिससे विधि आयोग बनता है। The word 'vidhaayak' (lawmaker) is formed from the same root as 'law commission.'
(vidhaayak shabd usii vidhi se banaa hai jisse vidhi aayog bantaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया विधि का उल्लंघन करने से बचें। Please avoid violating the law.
(kripyaa vidhi kaa ullanghan karne se bachen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
प्राचीन काल में राजा स्वयं विधि का स्रोत माना जाता था। In ancient times, the king himself was considered the source of law.
(praachiin kaal men raajaa svayan vidhi kaa srot maanaa jaataa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Sense 3 : prescribed rite or ritual procedure
noun, feminine
Synonyms: रीति (riiti), रस्म (rasm, leans toward social custom rather than sacred rite), संस्कार (sanskaar, specifically a life-cycle sacrament)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You will hear this in a priest's instructions before a puja or wedding, as in विधि-विधान से (vidhi-vidhaan se, 'according to (all) the proper rites') -- it frames the ceremony as following a fixed, correct sequence, the same 'correct procedure' idea as the method sense, just applied to ritual rather than cooking or paperwork.
Sample Sentences:
पंडित जी ने विधि-विधान से पूजा करवाई। The priest had the puja performed according to all the proper rites.
(pandit jii ne vidhi-vidhaan se poojaa karvaaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
विवाह की विधि शुरू होने से पहले सब लोग मंडप में बैठ गए। Before the wedding rite began, everyone sat down in the mandap.
(vivaah kii vidhi shuroo hone se pahle sab log mandap men baith gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हर विधि को सही क्रम में करना पड़ता है, वरना पूजा अधूरी मानी जाती है। Every rite has to be performed in the correct order, otherwise the puja is considered incomplete.
(har vidhi ko sahii kram men karnaa padtaa hai, varnaa poojaa adhoorii maanii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया विधि के अनुसार ही हवन कीजिए। Please perform the havan strictly according to the prescribed rite.
(kripyaa vidhi ke anusaar hii havan kiijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर विधि में कोई त्रुटि रह जाए, तो पंडित जी उसे तुरंत सुधार देते हैं। If some error is left in the rite, the priest corrects it immediately.
(agar vidhi men koii truti rah jaae, to pandit jii use turant sudhaar dete hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह विधि सदियों से इसी तरह चली आ रही है। This rite has been carried on in exactly this way for centuries.
(yah vidhi sadiyon se isii tarah chalii aa rahii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश हमें भी सारी विधि विस्तार से समझाई जाती। If only the whole rite had been explained to us in detail too.
(kaash hamen bhii saarii vidhi vistaar se samjhaaii jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
अंतिम संस्कार की विधि पूरे परिवार की उपस्थिति में संपन्न हुई। The last rites were completed in the presence of the whole family.
(antim sanskaar kii vidhi poore parivaar kii upasthiti men sampann huii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
गुरुजी ने कहा कि विधि-विधान से ही यज्ञ का फल मिलता है। The guru said that the fruit of the yajna is obtained only through following the proper rites.
(gurujii ne kahaa ki vidhi-vidhaan se hii yagy kaa phal miltaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 4 : grammatical mood (of a verb)
noun, feminine Occurs almost exclusively in compound grammatical terms rather than alone.
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: This is the term grammarians use inside words like विध्यर्थ (vidhyarth, 'optative/imperative sense') and in describing सम्भावनार्थक विधि (sambhaavnaarthak vidhi, 'subjunctive mood') -- useful to recognize if you ever open a Hindi grammar book, but not something you will produce in conversation.
Sample Sentences:
हिंदी व्याकरण में विधि क्रिया का वह रूप है जो आज्ञा, इच्छा या संभावना दर्शाता है। In Hindi grammar, mood is that form of the verb which expresses command, wish, or possibility.
(hindii vyaakran men vidhi kriyaa kaa vah roop hai jo aagyaa, ichchhaa yaa sambhaavnaa darshaataa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आज्ञार्थक विधि में क्रिया का प्रयोग आदेश देने के लिए होता है। In the imperative mood, the verb is used to give a command.
(aagyaarthak vidhi men kriyaa kaa prayog aadesh dene ke lie hotaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
व्याकरणविदों ने संभावनार्थक विधि को हिंदी की एक महत्वपूर्ण विधि माना है। Grammarians have considered the subjunctive mood to be an important mood in Hindi.
(vyaakranvidon ne sambhaavnaarthak vidhi ko hindii kii ek mahatvpoorn vidhi maanaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस पुस्तक में विधि के तीन प्रकार बताए गए हैं -- आज्ञार्थक, संभावनार्थक और निश्चयार्थक। In this book, three types of mood have been described -- imperative, subjunctive, and indicative.
(is pustak men vidhi ke tiin prakaar bataae gae hain -- aagyaarthak, sambhaavnaarthak aur nishchyaarthak।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
विध्यर्थ शब्द में विधि का अर्थ ही निहित है। The meaning of mood itself is embedded in the word 'vidhyarth'.
(vidhyarth shabd men vidhi kaa arth hii nihit hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
यदि विद्यार्थी विधि और काल का अंतर समझ ले, तो व्याकरण सरल हो जाएगा। If the student understands the difference between mood and tense, grammar will become simple.
(yadi vidyaarthii vidhi aur kaal kaa antar samajh le, to vyaakran saral ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काश हर व्याकरण की पुस्तक में विधि की व्याख्या इतनी स्पष्ट होती। If only every grammar book explained mood this clearly.
(kaash har vyaakran kii pustak men vidhi kii vyaakhyaa itnii spasht hotii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
प्राचीन व्याकरणाचार्यों ने विधि के भेदों का विस्तार से वर्णन किया था। The ancient grammarians had described the distinctions of mood in detail.
(praachiin vyaakarnaachaaryon ne vidhi ke bhedon kaa vistaar se varnan kiyaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): विधि (vidhi)
(sg.f.oblique): विधि (vidhi)
(pl.f.direct): विधिएँ (vidhien)
(pl.f.oblique): विधिओं (vidhion)