Indo-Aryan · Gujarati
Gujaratiગુજરાતી
60M speakers · South Asia
250 terms
namaste
Hello (Namaste)
The respectful greeting with palms joined; Gujaratis also say Jay Shri Krishna.
kem chho
How are you?
The famous Gujarati greeting — kem chho is known worldwide.
majama chhu
I am doing great
The cheerful standard reply to kem chho, literally I am in fun.
jay shri krishna
Jay Shri Krishna (greeting)
A devotional Gujarati greeting honoring Krishna, used like hello.
suprabhat
Good morning
A morning greeting, literally auspicious dawn.
shubh ratri
Good night
Said before going to bed, literally auspicious night.
aavjo
Goodbye (come again)
The warm Gujarati farewell — not go, but come again!
pachha malishu
See you again
A warm farewell, literally we will meet again.
aabhar
Thank you
The standard expression of gratitude.
kai vandho nahi
No problem
The easy-going reply to thanks or apologies, literally no objection.
maaf karjo
Sorry; excuse me
A polite apology, also used to get someone's attention.
ha
Yes
An affirmative answer.
na
No
A negative answer.
saru
Okay; good
The all-purpose word for okay, fine, good.
maru naam
My name is
Used to introduce yourself; maru naam ... chhe.
maline anand thayo
Nice to meet you
Said when meeting someone, literally joy happened on meeting.
swagat chhe
Welcome
Used to welcome guests; padharo means please grace us.
shubhechha
Best wishes
Good wishes for birthdays, exams, and new beginnings.
mane samjayu nahi
I don't understand
A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.
ek
One
The number one.
be
Two
The number two.
tran
Three
The number three.
char
Four
The number four.
panch
Five
The number five.
chha
Six
The number six.
saat
Seven
The number seven.
aath
Eight
The number eight.
nav
Nine
The number nine; navratri means nine nights!
das
Ten
The number ten.
so
Hundred
The number one hundred.
hajar
Thousand
The number one thousand.
aaje
Today
The present day.
kale
Tomorrow; yesterday
Means both tomorrow and yesterday — the verb tense tells you which!
gai kale
Yesterday
The day before today, unambiguously.
atyare
Now
At the present moment.
kalak
Hour
A period of sixty minutes.
minit
Minute
A period of sixty seconds.
athvadiyu
Week
A period of seven days.
varsh
Year
A period of twelve months; the Gujarati new year follows Diwali.
parivar
Family
A group of people related by blood or marriage.
mummy
Mom
The everyday word for mother; formally maa or mata.
pappa
Dad
The everyday word for father; formally pita.
bhai
Brother
A male sibling; bhai is also added to names as respect.
bahen
Sister
A female sibling; ben is also added to women's names as respect.
dikro
Son
A male child.
dikri
Daughter
A female child.
dada
Grandfather (paternal)
Your father's father; the mother's father is nana.
ba
Grandmother
Grandmother — and ba's theplas are the taste of home.
pati
Husband
The man a woman is married to.
patni
Wife
The woman a man is married to.
balak
Child
A young person; plural balako.
mitra
Friend
A person you know well and like; dost is also common.
purush
Man
An adult male person.
stri
Woman
An adult female person.
shikshak
Teacher
A person who teaches.
vidyarthi
Student
A person who studies at school or university.
padoshi
Neighbor
A person who lives next to or near you.
paani
Water
The clear liquid essential for life.
cha
Tea
Tea — masala cha with a Gujarati snack is the day's anchor.
kofi
Coffee
A drink made from coffee beans.
bhaat
Cooked rice
Cooked rice; dal-bhat completes the Gujarati thali.
rotli
Flatbread (rotli)
The thin soft Gujarati flatbread on every thali.
dal
Lentils (dal)
Lentil curry; Gujarati dal is famously a little sweet.
shaak
Vegetable dish; vegetables
Cooked vegetables, the heart of the thali.
thepla
Thepla
The spiced fenugreek flatbread — the Gujarati travel companion.
dhokla
Dhokla
The steamed savory cake that made Gujarati snacks world-famous.
machhli
Fish
An animal that lives in water, eaten as food on the coast.
indu
Egg
An egg laid by a hen.
fal
Fruit
Sweet plant foods such as mangoes and bananas.
keri
Mango
The king of fruits; Gir's Kesar keri is Gujarat's golden pride.
doodh
Milk
A white drink; Anand in Gujarat is India's milk capital.
chaas
Buttermilk
Spiced buttermilk — the cooling end to every Gujarati meal.
ras
Juice
Fruit juice; keri no ras with puri is the summer feast.
khand
Sugar
A sweet substance; Gujarati cooking loves a touch of it.
mithu
Salt
Salt — Gujarat's salt pans stretch to the horizon; oddly, mithu means sweet too!
nasto
Breakfast; snacks
Breakfast — and the great Gujarati universe of snacks.
bapornu bhojan
Lunch
The midday meal, often a full thali.
ratrinu bhojan
Dinner
The evening meal.
vimani mathak
Airport
A place where airplanes take off and land.
viman
Airplane
A flying vehicle with wings and engines.
tren
Train
A connected line of carriages that runs on rails.
steshan
Station
A place where trains stop for passengers.
bas
Bus
A large road vehicle that carries many passengers.
riksha
Auto-rickshaw
The three-wheeler weaving through every Gujarati city.
taxi
Taxi
A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.
hotel
Hotel; restaurant
A hotel — and any eatery is a hotel in everyday Gujarati too.
bhojanalay
Restaurant
A place where you pay to eat; the Gujarati thali house is a treasure.
shaher
City
A large town where many people live and work.
gaam
Village
A small settlement; everyone's heart stays in their gaam.
rasto
Road; street
A way for vehicles and people.
passport
Passport
An official document needed for traveling abroad.
tikit
Ticket
A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.
nakasho
Map
A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.
bank
Bank
A place where people keep and borrow money.
bajar
Market
A place where goods are sold; Gujarati bazaars buzz with bargaining.
dariyo
Sea
The sea; Gujarat has India's longest coastline.
suraj
Sun
The star that gives Earth light and warmth.
chandra
Moon
The bright object in the night sky; Sharad Purnima's moon is celebrated.
taro
Star
A point of light in the night sky; also means yours!
aakash
Sky
The space above the earth — filled with kites every Uttarayan!
nadi
River
A large stream of water; the Narmada is Gujarat's lifeline.
parvat
Mountain
A very high hill; Girnar is Gujarat's sacred peak.
jangal
Forest
A large area covered with trees; Gir forest is the lion's last home.
jhaad
Tree
A tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.
phool
Flower
The colorful blossom of a plant.
varsad
Rain
Water that falls from clouds; the monsoon varsad is awaited eagerly.
baraf
Snow; ice
Frozen water — snow or the ice in your golas!
pavan
Wind
Moving air — the Uttarayan kite-flyer's best friend.
havaman
Weather
The condition of the air, such as sun, rain, or wind.
prani
Animal
A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.
sinh
Lion
The Asiatic lion — found in the wild only in Gujarat's Gir.
sharir
Body
The whole physical structure of a person.
mathu
Head
The top part of the body containing the brain and face.
aankh
Eye
The part of the body used for seeing.
kaan
Ear
The part of the body used for hearing.
naak
Nose
The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.
mou
Mouth; face
The mouth, and informally the face.
haath
Hand; arm
The upper limb, covering both hand and arm.
pag
Leg; foot
The lower limb used for walking — and for garba!
hriday
Heart
The organ that pumps blood, also the seat of feeling.
vaal
Hair
The hair on a person's head.
pet
Stomach; belly
The front part of the body below the chest.
daktar
Doctor
A person trained to treat sick people.
davakhanu
Hospital; clinic
A place where sick people are treated.
dava
Medicine
Something you take to treat an illness.
aarogya
Health
The condition of the body and mind.
bimar
Sick
Ill, not in good health.
kaam
Work; job
A job, or the activity of working.
dhandho
Business
Business — the celebrated Gujarati genius for enterprise.
kampani
Company
A business organization that sells goods or services.
ofis
Office
A room or building where people work at desks.
sheth
Boss; merchant
The boss or proprietor — the classic Gujarati sheth.
sahkarmchari
Colleague
A person you work with.
sabha
Meeting
An occasion when people come together to discuss something.
paisa
Money
Coins and banknotes used to buy things.
pagar
Salary
The money you receive regularly for your work.
computer
Computer
An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.
phone
Phone
A device used for calling and messaging people.
vyavasay
Profession
The type of work a person is trained to do.
yojana
Project; plan
A planned piece of work with a clear goal.
grahak
Customer
A person who buys goods or services.
karar
Contract
A formal written agreement.
manager
Manager
The person who leads a company, shop, or team.
karkhanu
Factory
A building where goods are made; Surat's diamond karkhanas shine worldwide.
sanskruti
Culture
The art, customs, and traditions of a society.
itihas
History
The story of the past — Lothal's docks date back 4,500 years.
bhasha
Language
A system of words; Gujarati was Gandhiji's mother tongue.
pustak
Book
Written pages bound together for reading.
sangeet
Music
Music — from bhajans to the dandiya beat.
film
Film; movie
A story shown in moving pictures.
kala
Art
Creative work; bandhani tie-dye and Patola weaving are Gujarati arts.
sangrahalay
Museum
A building where important objects and art are shown.
tahevar
Festival
A celebration; Gujarat's calendar overflows with tahevars.
navratri
Navratri
Nine nights of garba — the world's longest dance festival.
garba
Garba (dance)
The whirling circular dance of Gujarat, now on UNESCO's heritage list.
uttarayan
Uttarayan (kite festival)
The January kite festival when Gujarat's skies fill with color.
dharma
Religion
Belief in and worship of a god or gods.
sarkar
Government
The group of people who rule a state or country.
samachar
News
Reports about recent events.
samaj
Society
People living together in an organized community.
hovu
To be
To exist or to be somewhere.
joie
To want; need
Expresses want or need; mane joie means I want.
javu
To go
To move from one place to another.
aavvu
To come
To move toward the speaker or a place; aavjo says come again!
khavu
To eat
To eat; jami lidhu — have you eaten — is daily care.
pivu
To drink
To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.
jovu
To see; to watch
To notice something with your eyes.
sambhalvu
To hear; to listen
To notice sounds with your ears.
bolvu
To speak
To say words, to talk.
vanchvu
To read
To look at words and understand them.
lakhvu
To write
To form letters and words on paper or a screen.
kharidvu
To buy
To get something by paying money.
vechvu
To sell
To give something in exchange for money.
karvu
To do; to make
To perform an action; combines with nouns to form many verbs.
kaam karvu
To work
To do a job, literally to do work.
vicharvu
To think
To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.
prem karvo
To love
To feel deep affection; hu tane prem karu chhu — I love you.
gamvu
To like
To find something pleasant; mane game chhe means I like it.
shikhvu
To learn
To gain knowledge or skill.
janvu
To know
To have information in your mind.
olakhvu
To recognize; to know (people)
To be familiar with a person or recognize them.
aapvu
To give
To hand something to someone.
levu
To take
To pick something up or accept it.
shodhvu
To look for
To try to find something.
madad karvi
To help
To make something easier for someone.
sharu karvu
To begin
To start doing something.
puru karvu
To finish
To bring something to an end.
suvu
To sleep
To rest with your eyes closed at night.
saro
Good
Of high quality or pleasant.
kharab
Bad
Of poor quality or unpleasant.
motu
Big; elder
Of great size; also means elder.
nanu
Small; younger
Of little size, or younger.
navu
New
Recently made or bought.
junu
Old (things)
Having existed for a long time; old Ahmedabad is a heritage city.
yuvan
Young
Not old, in an early stage of life.
unchu
Tall; high
Of great height; the Statue of Unity is the world's tallest.
nichu
Low; short
Of little height.
lambu
Long
Of great length.
garam
Hot; warm
Having a high temperature.
thandu
Cold; cool
Having a low temperature.
zadapi
Fast
Moving or happening quickly.
dhimu
Slow
Moving or happening without speed.
monghu
Expensive
Costing a lot of money.
sastu
Cheap
Costing little money — and finding it is a Gujarati art!
sundar
Beautiful
Very pleasing to look at.
sahelu
Easy
Not difficult to do or understand.
aghru
Difficult
Hard to do or understand.
mahatvanu
Important
Having great value or significance.
chokkhu
Clean
Free from dirt.
galyu
Sweet
Sweet in taste — and Gujarati food loves its sweetness!
shu
What
Used to ask about things; also starts yes/no questions.
kon
Who
Used to ask about people.
kya
Where
Used to ask about places.
kyare
When
Used to ask about time.
kem
Why; how
Why — and also how, as in the famous kem chho!
kevi rite
How
Used to ask about manner or way.
ketlu
How much
Used to ask about quantity or price — the bazaar essential.
kayu
Which
Used to ask about a choice between things.
konu
Whose
Used to ask about ownership.
shu
Question particle
At the start of a sentence, shu turns it into a yes/no question.
ghar
House; home
A building where people live, or your home.
ordo
Room
A space inside a building with its own walls.
rasodu
Kitchen
The room where food is prepared.
bathrum
Bathroom
The room for washing.
barnu
Door
The entrance to a room or building.
bari
Window
An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.
tebal
Table
A piece of furniture with a flat top.
khurshi
Chair
A seat with a back for one person.
palang
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleeping.
kapda
Clothes
Things you wear; bandhani and chaniya choli are Gujarati classics.
champal
Footwear; sandals
Sandals; left outside the home and temple.
chavi
Key
A metal object used to open locks.
ghadiyal
Clock; watch
A device that shows the time.
TV
Television
A device for watching programmes and films.
divo
Lamp
A lamp — the divo lights every Gujarati doorstep at Diwali.
randhvu
To cook
To prepare food by heating it.
kharidi
Shopping
The activity of buying things.
khush
Happy
Feeling pleasure and joy.
maja
Fun; enjoyment
Fun and good times — majama means doing great!
dukhi
Sad
Feeling unhappy.
gusso
Anger
The feeling of strong displeasure.
bik
Fear
The feeling of being afraid.
thakelu
Tired
Needing rest after work or activity.
bhukh
Hunger
The need to eat; mane bhukh lagi means I am hungry.
taras
Thirst
The need to drink.
chinta
Worry
The feeling of being anxious; chinta na karo — don't worry!
kantalo
Boredom
The feeling of being utterly bored — kantalo aavyo!
utsah
Excitement; enthusiasm
The feeling of eager energy — Navratri-level utsah!
navai
Surprise; wonder
The feeling of wonder at something unexpected.
prem
Love
Deep love and affection.