कड़वा

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Old Hindi करवा (karavā), from Prakrit 𑀓𑀟𑀼𑀅 (kaḍua) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-), from Sanskrit कटुक (káṭuka, “pungent, bitter”). Cognate to Gujarati કડવું (kaḍvũ), Marathi कडू (kaḍū).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /kəɽ.ʋɑː/, [kɐɽ.ʋäː]

Adjective

कड़वा • (kaṛvā) (Urdu spelling کَڑْوَا)

1. bitter, pungent
2. harsh, sharp, biting

   कड़वे वचन ― kaṛve vacan ― harsh words

Declension

Declension of कड़वा (ā-stem)

	masculine		feminine
	singular	plural	singular	plural
direct	कड़वा kaṛvā	कड़वे kaṛve	कड़वी kaṛvī	कड़वी kaṛvī
oblique	कड़वे kaṛve	कड़वे kaṛve	कड़वी kaṛvī	कड़वी kaṛvī
vocative	कड़वे kaṛve	कड़वे kaṛve	कड़वी kaṛvī	कड़वी kaṛvī

Derived terms

• कड़वाहट (kaṛvāhaṭ)
• कड़वापन (kaṛvāpan)

See also

Basic tastes in Hindi · स्वाद (svād) (layout · text)
मीठा (mīṭhā)	खट्टा (khaṭṭā)	नमकीन (namkīn), खारा (khārā)	कड़वा (kaṛvā)	तीखा (tīkhā)	सलोना (salonā)

Proper noun

कड़वा • (kaṛvā) m

1. Kadwa (a village in Bihar, India)

Further reading

• Bahri, Hardev (1989), “कड़वा”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons, page 86.
• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975), “कड़वा”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. “Sea of Hindi words”] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, page 758
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “कड़वा”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press, page 160
• Platts, John T. (1884), “کڙوا”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co., page 832
• “कड़वा”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “káṭuka”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 132