Hindi · People & Family
"Friend" in Hindi: दोस्त
दोस्तdost
Note: also: मित्र (mitra)
Friend in Hindi is दोस्त (dost). The same word works for a male or a female friend: say mera dost for a man and meri dost for a woman. In formal or literary Hindi you will also see मित्र (mitra).
Introducing someone at a party
यह मेरा दोस्त अर्जुन है, हम साथ में काम करते हैं।yah mera dost Arjun hai, ham saath mein kaam karte hain.
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How to pronounce दोस्त
Say it
DOHST
/d̪oːst̪/
Dost is one short syllable: DOHST. The o is a long, pure "oh", and the d and t are both dental, made with the tongue touching the upper teeth. Don't add a vowel at the end: it is dost, not dos-ta.
"Friend" in Hindi: quick reference
| Hindi | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| दोस्तdost | friend The everyday word for any friend, male or female. | The everyday word for any friend, male or female. |
| मित्रmitra | friend (formal) Books, speeches, and formal letters. In conversation it can sound old-fashioned. | Books, speeches, and formal letters. In conversation it can sound old-fashioned. |
| यारyaar | buddy, mate Very casual, between close friends. It is also a filler word, like "man" in "come on, man". | Very casual, between close friends. It is also a filler word, like "man" in "come on, man". |
| सहेलीsaheli | (female) friend A girl's or woman's female friend. Men don't use it for their friends. | A girl's or woman's female friend. Men don't use it for their friends. |
| दोस्तीdosti | friendship The noun for the friendship itself, common in film titles and songs. | The noun for the friendship itself, common in film titles and songs. |
How to use दोस्त in real life
- 1Introducing someone at a party
यह मेरा दोस्त अर्जुन है, हम साथ में काम करते हैं।
yah mera dost Arjun hai, ham saath mein kaam karte hain.
This is my friend Arjun, we work together.
In speech, yah usually sounds like ye, and ham is how most people say "we".
- 2Weekend plans
इस शनिवार मैं अपने दोस्तों के साथ गोवा जा रहा हूँ।
is shanivaar main apne doston ke saath Goa jaa raha hoon.
This Saturday I'm going to Goa with my friends.
Before ke saath (with), the plural dost becomes doston.
- 3A woman talking about her friend
प्रिया मेरी सबसे अच्छी दोस्त है।
Priya meri sabse achhi dost hai.
Priya is my best friend.
Sabse achhi dost is "best friend". Meri and achhi are feminine because Priya is a woman.
Mistakes English speakers make with दोस्त
Incorrect: Priya mera dost hai.
Correct: Priya meri dost hai.
The word dost stays the same, but mera, meri, and adjectives follow the friend's gender. For a female friend, use meri.
Incorrect: Main mere dost ke saath gaya.
Correct: Main apne dost ke saath gaya.
When "my" refers back to the subject of the sentence, Hindi uses apna, not mera. So "I went with my friend" needs apne dost.
Good to know
Friendship in India tends to be warm and informal: close friends call each other yaar, share food from the same plate, and often drop by without calling first. Friendship Day, on the first Sunday of August, is popular with students, who tie colorful friendship bands on each other's wrists. You will also hear jigri dost, a very close friend. It comes from jigar, an Urdu word for the liver that poets use for the heart.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Chatting with a colleague in Pune about your weekend
ChatPal
आप वीकेंड पर किसके साथ घूमने गए थे?
aap veekend par kiske saath ghoomne gaye the?
Who did you go out with on the weekend?
You
मेरे दो दोस्तों के साथ, जो दिल्ली से आए थे।
mere do doston ke saath, jo Dilli se aaye the.
With two friends of mine who came from Delhi.
ChatPal
अच्छा! आपके दोस्त कितने दिन रुकेंगे?
achha! aapke dost kitne din rukenge?
Oh, nice! How many days will your friends stay?
You
बस दो दिन। अगली बार आप भी हमारे साथ चलिए!
bas do din. agli baar aap bhi hamaare saath chaliye!
Just two days. Next time, come with us too!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Friend" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Friend" in Hindi
Is dost masculine or feminine?
Grammatically dost is a masculine noun, but in everyday speech the words around it follow the person. A man is mera achha dost, and a woman is meri achhi dost.
What does yaar mean in Hindi?
Yaar means buddy or mate, and friends use it with each other all the time. It also works as a filler, as in kya yaar! (oh, come on!). Keep it for people you know well, never for elders or strangers.
What is the difference between dost and mitra?
Both mean friend. Dost comes from Persian and is what people say in conversation. Mitra comes from Sanskrit and is mostly used in writing, formal speeches, and news.
How do you say best friend in Hindi?
Say sabse achha dost (for a man) or sabse achhi dost (for a woman). Many people also use the English "best friend", and jigri dost is a warm, casual way to say "closest friend".
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
