Basic Nouns

34 phrases · Assamese with romanization, English and audio

  1. পানী

    Pani

    Water

    Usage

    The basic word for drinking water, understood in any eatery or shop

    Grammar Note

    পানী is the everyday word and জল is the literary one. The final vowel is the long ী, unlike Bengali পানি

  2. খাদ্য

    Khadyo

    Food

    Usage

    A general term for food, handy when you do not know a dish's name

    Grammar Note

    A Sanskrit-origin general term for food. Cooked rice itself is ভাত, and ভাত খাব can mean "to have a meal"

  3. টকা

    Toka

    Money

    Usage

    Money in general, especially rupees; the pair টকা-পইচা also means money overall

    Grammar Note

    Assamese is spelled টকা, not Bengali টাকা, which is Bangladesh's currency; the spelling tells them apart

  4. শৌচাগাৰ

    Xousagar

    Toilet

    Usage

    A polite word that works anywhere; the one to use when asking in stations and shops

    Grammar Note

    A Sanskrit-style compound; শৌচালয় means the same. Use this noun or টয়লেট, never crude verbs

  5. ঔষধ

    Ouxodh

    Medicine

    Usage

    Used at a pharmacy or clinic; a pharmacy is ঔষধৰ দোকান

    Grammar Note

    A Sanskrit-origin word; the vowel ঔ is the diphthong /ou/

  6. চাবি

    Sabi

    Key

    Usage

    Useful at a hotel desk when you lose or need a key

    Grammar Note

    চাবি is a loan of Hindi origin; the compound চাবিকাঠি is also used

  7. টিকট

    Tikot

    Ticket

    Usage

    For train, bus and entry tickets; count it with a classifier as in এখন টিকট

    Grammar Note

    Borrowed from English ticket. টিকট is the most common spelling and টিকেট the minority one; English /t/ is written ট

  8. পাছপৰ্ট

    Pasoporto

    Passport

    Usage

    Often requested at hotel check-in and money exchange

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English passport; ছ stands for /s/, since English /s/ is written with চ or ছ in Assamese loans

  9. ফোন

    Phon

    Phone

    Usage

    Covers mobile and landline phones; মোৰ ফোন means "my phone"

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English phone. ফোন is the usual spelling and ফ'ন the rarer one; a mobile is also মোবাইল

  10. ষ্টেচন

    Steson

    Station

    Usage

    Used when asking for a railway or bus station

    Grammar Note

    From English station, with the sound written চ; ষ্টেচন is the standard spelling and ষ্টেশন is the less usual one

  11. হাস্পতাল

    Haxpotal

    Hospital

    Usage

    An essential word when ill or asking for emergency care

    Grammar Note

    From English hospital, written হাস্পতাল rather than Bengali হাসপাতাল

  12. পুলিচ

    Pulis

    Police

    Usage

    The word to call for help after theft or an accident

    Grammar Note

    From English police, with the /s/ sound written চ, unlike Bengali পুলিশ

  13. দোকান

    Dokan

    Shop

    Usage

    The general word for a shop; put the kind in front, as in ঔষধৰ দোকান (pharmacy)

    Grammar Note

    Of Persian origin and shared with Bengali and Hindi. A type word is attached before it with the genitive ৰ

  14. কোঠা

    Kotha

    Room

    Usage

    Used at hotels to ask for a room; এটা কোঠা is "one room"

    Grammar Note

    ঘৰ means "house" in Assamese, not "room" as its Bengali cognate does; a room is কোঠা

  15. ৰাস্তা

    Raxta

    Road

    Usage

    Used when asking about roads; এই ৰাস্তা is "this road"

    Grammar Note

    A Persian-origin everyday word; পথ is closer to literary use. The ৰ is the Assamese-only letter

  16. পৰিয়াল

    Poriyal

    Family

    Usage

    For talking about family; মোৰ পৰিয়াল means "my family"

    Grammar Note

    পৰিয়াল refers to the family as a whole; individual members have their own terms

  17. নাম

    Nam

    Name

    Usage

    Used in introductions as মোৰ নাম …, and for the name on a booking

    Grammar Note

    Spelled as in Bengali; a possessive goes before it, as in মোৰ নাম

  18. মূৰ

    Mur

    Head

    Usage

    Used for headaches, as in মোৰ মূৰ বিষাইছে

    Grammar Note

    The Assamese word for the head, different from the Bengali one

  19. চকু

    Soku

    Eye

    Usage

    Used to describe eye pain or something in the eye

    Grammar Note

    A Sanskrit-origin word, different from the Bengali everyday word; it begins with the /s/ sound

  20. দাঁত

    Dãt

    Tooth

    Usage

    For tooth pain: দাঁত বিষাইছে

    Grammar Note

    The ঁ marks a nasalised vowel. It is spelled as in Bengali

  21. কণ্ঠ

    Kontho

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat: কণ্ঠ বিষাইছে

    Grammar Note

    কণ্ঠ covers both "throat" and "voice"; ডিঙি is the neck, not the throat

  22. পেট

    Pet

    Stomach

    Usage

    For stomach pain: পেট বিষাইছে

    Grammar Note

    The same word as in Bengali; পেট বিষ means stomach ache

  23. পিঠি

    Pithi

    Back

    Usage

    To describe back pain

    Grammar Note

    Unlike the Bengali cognate, the Assamese word ends in ি. It is not the same as পিঠা, a rice cake

  24. কঁকাল

    Kõkal

    Lower back

    Usage

    For lower back pain: কঁকাল বিষাইছে

    Grammar Note

    The ঁ is a nasalised vowel. It is a different word from the Bengali one for the waist

  25. ভৰি

    Bhori

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    For leg or foot injuries; it does not separate leg from foot

    Grammar Note

    Assamese ভৰি covers both leg and foot and is not the Bengali word

  26. হাত

    Hat

    Hand / Arm

    Usage

    For hand or arm injuries; it does not separate hand from arm

    Grammar Note

    হাত covers both hand and arm, spelled as in Bengali

  27. বুকু

    Buku

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or tightness; seek care promptly if serious

    Grammar Note

    Unlike the Bengali cognate, Assamese ends in the vowel ু

  28. হোটেল

    Hotel

    Hotel

    Usage

    For finding lodging; small eateries are sometimes also called হোটেল

    Grammar Note

    From English hotel; হোটেল is the usual spelling, and in the countryside it can also mean a small eatery

  29. বিমানবন্দৰ

    Bimanobondor

    Airport

    Usage

    For asking about Guwahati airport or telling a taxi your destination

    Grammar Note

    A single compound of বিমান (aircraft) + বন্দৰ (port); no space is written between them

  30. বাছ ষ্টেণ্ড

    Bas stendo

    Bus stand

    Usage

    For asking where to catch a bus: বাছ ষ্টেণ্ড ক'ত?

    Grammar Note

    From English bus stand. বাছ is the vehicle; বাস means residence, so do not mix them up

  31. দূতাবাস

    Dutabax

    Embassy

    Usage

    The place to find after losing a passport

    Grammar Note

    A Sanskrit-style compound of দূত (envoy) + আবাস (residence)

  32. এটিএম

    Etiem

    ATM

    Usage

    Where to withdraw cash; common in towns, scarcer in villages

    Grammar Note

    English ATM spelled out in Assamese letters; it is read as the English letters

  33. মুদ্ৰা বিনিময়

    Mudra binimoy

    Money exchange

    Usage

    For finding a place to change foreign cash into rupees

    Grammar Note

    মুদ্ৰা (currency) + বিনিময় (exchange), written as two words for "currency exchange"

  34. লণ্ড্ৰী

    Londri

    Laundry shop

    Usage

    For finding a place to have clothes washed

    Grammar Note

    From English laundry; the consonant cluster ণ্ড্ৰ represents the English sounds

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