Top Sanskrit words you must learn

Sanskrit is a South Asian classical language that belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It is not only the language of classical Hindu philosophy, but also a sacred language of Hinduism, and it rose to become the language of Hindu religion, a symbol of high culture, and a source of prestige and knowledge for political elites. While Tamil is the most similar to Sanskrit in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, Sino-Tibetan languages such as Telugu only show hints of Sanskrit vocabulary. Sanskrit is also the language of Buddhist and Jain historical texts. Despite the fact that Sanskrit originated in South Asia, its influence can be found throughout the world. Sanskrit had a long-lasting influence on the languages of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, particularly in their formal and learned vocabularies. 

Sanskrit is a beautiful language, which requires practising and memorization just like any other language. Similar to other languages, it is always helpful to learn a few important words, in order to speak the language with ease.

General: 

I – अहम् pronounced as ahám

We – वयम् pronounced as vayám 

They – ते pronounced as té 

There – तत्र pronounced as tátra

That – तत् pronounced as tát

Here – अत्र pronounced as átra

Who – क pronounced as ká

What – किम् pronounced as kím

How – कथम् pronounced as kathám

Where – कुत्र pronounced as kútra

When – कदा pronounced as kadā́

Not – न pronounced as ná

All – सर्व pronounced as sárva

Many – बहु pronounced as bahú

Some – किञ्चिद् pronounced as kíñcid

Few – अल्प pronounced as álpa

Other – अन्य pronounced as anyá

to drink – पा – पिबति pronounced as pā – píbati

to eat – अद् – अत्ति pronounced as ad – átti

to wash – क्षल् – क्षालयति pronounced as kṣal – kṣā́layati

to wipe – मृज् – मार्ष्टि pronounced as mṛj – mā́rṣṭi

to pull – कृष् – कर्षति pronounced as kṛṣ – kárṣati

to push – नुद् – नुदति pronounced as nud – nudáti

night – रात्र pronounced as rātrá

day – द्यु pronounced as dyú, अहर् pronounced as áhar

year – वर्ष pronounced as varṣá, संवत्सर pronounced as saṃvatsara/संवत् pronounced as saṃvat

warm – तप्त pronounced as taptá, घर्म pronounced as gharmá

cold – शीत pronounced as śītá

Numbers:

One – एक pronounced as éka

Two – द्वि pronounced as dví

Three – त्रि pronounced as trí

Four – चतुर् pronounced as cátur

Five – पञ्ज pronounced as páñcan

Sizes:

Big – महत् pronounced as mahát

Long – दीर्घ pronounced as dīrghá

Wide – उरु pronounced as urú

Small- अल्प pronounced as álpa

Short – ह्रस्व pronounced as hrasvá

Narrow – अंहु pronounced as aṃhú

Thin- तनु pronounced as tanú

People:

Child – बाल pronounced as bā́la, शिशु pronounced as śíśu

Wife – भार्या॑ pronounced as bhāryā́

Husband – पति pronounced as páti

Mother – मातृ pronounced as mā́tṛ

Father – पितृ pronounced as pitṛ́

Body:

Hair – केश pronounced as kéśa

Head – शिरस् pronounced as śíras

Ear – कर्ण pronounced as kárṇa

Eye – अक्षि pronounced as ákṣi

Nose – नासिक pronounced as nā́sika

Mouth – मुख pronounced as múkha

Tooth – दत्/दन्त pronounced as dát/dánta

Tongue (organ) – जिह्व/जिह्वा pronounced as jihvá/jihvā́

Fingernail – नख pronounced as nakhá

Foot – पद pronounced as padá

Leg – जङ्घ pronounced as jáṅgha

Colours:

red – रक्त pronounced as rakta, रोहित pronounced as róhita

green – हरित् pronounced as harít

yellow – पीत pronounced as pīta

white – श्वेत pronounced as śvetá

black – कृष्ण pronounced as kṛṣṇá

The Javanese language of Indonesia and Malay language of Malaysia both have a history of Sanskrit influence. Scholars believe that the language spoken in the Philippines has a slight Sanskrit influence. In Korea and Japan, some Sanskrit texts and inscriptions have also been discovered. Sanskrit inscriptions, manuscripts, or remnants have been discovered in dry, high deserts and mountainous terrains such as Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, including some of the oldest known Sanskrit written texts. Sanskrit is related to Greek and Latin, with phonetics, grammar, and script sharing similarities. There are parallels between Sanskrit and other European languages such as German.

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