Words across Indian languages
Water in Indian languages
The word for “water” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | నీళ్ళు | nīḷḷu |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | தண்ணீர் | taṇṇīr |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ನೀರು | nīru |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | पानी | pānī |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | জল | jôl |
In Telugu
Water in Telugu
నీళ్ళు
nīḷḷu
Also: Neellu, Nillu, Neeru
In Tamil
Water in Tamil
தண்ணீர்
taṇṇīr
Also: Tanneer, Thanneer, Thanni
In Kannada
Water in Kannada
ನೀರು
nīru
Also: Neeru, Niru
In Hindi
Water in Hindi
पानी
pānī
Also: Pani, Paani, Jal
In Bengali
Water in Bengali
জল
jôl
Also: Jol, Jal, Pani
Water across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Water" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: నీళ్ళు (nīḷḷu). In Tamil: தண்ணீர் (taṇṇīr). In Kannada: ನೀರು (nīru). In Hindi: पानी (pānī). In Bengali: জল (jôl).
Is the word for "Water" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses నీళ్ళు; Tamil uses தண்ணீர்; Kannada uses ನೀರು; Hindi uses पानी; Bengali uses জল. Some share roots (Hindi and Bengali both descend from Sanskrit) and others are completely independent (Tamil is from a different language family).
Which Indian languages share the word for "Water"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "water".
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