ज्ञान

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ज्ञान (jñāna), from the root verb ज्ञा (jñā, “to know, be aware of”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɡjɑːn/, [ɡjä̃ːn]

Noun

ज्ञान • (jñān) m (Urdu spelling گیان)

1. knowledge

   मुझे इसका कुछ भी ज्ञान नहीं है।

   mujhe iskā kuch bhī jñān nahī̃ hai.

   I have no knowledge of it at all.

   हमारा शिक्षक व्यापक ज्ञान की खान है।

   hamārā śikṣak vyāpak jñān kī khān hai.

   Our professor is a vast storehouse of general knowledge.

   गुरूजी, और ज्ञान बाटो!

   gurūjī, aur jñān bāṭo!

   Oh Guru, please enlighten us with knowledge! (sarcastic)

Declension

Declension of ज्ञान (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	ज्ञान jñān	ज्ञान jñān
oblique	ज्ञान jñān	ज्ञानों jñānõ
vocative	ज्ञान jñān	ज्ञानो jñāno

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989), “ज्ञान”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.

Marathi

FWOTD – 27 May 2025

Etymology

Inherited from Old Marathi 𑘕𑘿𑘗𑘰𑘡 (jñāna), from Sanskrit ज्ञान (jñāna), from the root verb ज्ञा (jñā, “to know, be aware of”). Doublet of जाण (jāṇ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʑnan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

ज्ञान • (jñān) n

1. knowledge

   खरे ज्ञान म्हणजे एखाद्याच्या अज्ञानाची व्याप्ती जाणून घेणे.

   khare jñān mhaṇje ekhādyācyā ajñānācī vyāptī jāṇūn gheṇe.

   Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

Declension

Declension of ज्ञान (neut cons-stem)
direct singular	ज्ञान jñān
direct plural	ज्ञाने, ज्ञानं jñāne, jñāna
	singular एकवचन		plural अनेकवचन
nominative प्रथमा	ज्ञान jñān		ज्ञाने, ज्ञानं jñāne, jñāna
oblique सामान्यरूप	ज्ञाना jñānā		ज्ञानां- jñānān-
accusative / dative द्वितीया / चतुर्थी	ज्ञानाला jñānālā		ज्ञानांना jñānānnā
ergative	ज्ञानाने, ज्ञानानं jñānāne, jñānāna		ज्ञानांनी jñānānnī
instrumental	ज्ञानाशी jñānāśī		ज्ञानांशी jñānānśī
locative सप्तमी	ज्ञानात jñānāt		ज्ञानांत jñānāt
vocative संबोधन	ज्ञाना jñānā		ज्ञानांनो jñānānno
Oblique Note: The oblique case precedes all postpositions. There is no space between the stem and the postposition. Locative Note: -त (-ta) is a postposition.

Genitive declension of ज्ञान (neut cons-stem)
	masculine object पुल्लिंगी कर्म		feminine object स्त्रीलिंगी कर्म		neuter object नपुसकलिंगी कर्म		oblique सामान्यरूप
	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन	singular* एकवचन	plural अनेकवचन
singular subject एकवचनी कर्ता	ज्ञानाचा jñānāċā	ज्ञानाचे jñānāċe	ज्ञानाची jñānācī	ज्ञानाच्या jñānācā	ज्ञानाचे, ज्ञानाचं jñānāċe, jñānāċa	ज्ञानाची jñānācī	ज्ञानाच्या jñānācā
plural subject अनेकवचनी कर्ता	ज्ञानांचा jñānānċā	ज्ञानांचे jñānānċe	ज्ञानांची jñānāñcī	ज्ञानांच्या jñānāncā	ज्ञानांचे, ज्ञानांचं jñānānċe, jñānānċa	ज्ञानांची jñānāñcī	ज्ञानांच्या jñānāñcā
* Note: Word-final ए (e) in neuter words is alternatively written with the anusvara and pronounced as अ (a). Oblique Note: For most postpostions, the oblique genitive can be optionally inserted between the stem and the postposition.

Related terms

• अज्ञान (ajñān, “ignorance”)
• ज्ञानी (jñānī, “wise”)
• तंत्रज्ञान (tantrajñān, “technology”)
• विज्ञान (vijñān, “science”)

References

• Berntsen, Maxine (1982–1983), “ज्ञान”, in A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary, New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies
• Shankar Gopal Tulpule; Anne Feldhaus (1999), “ज्ञान”, in A Dictionary of Old Marathi, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan

Nepali

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ज्ञान (jñāna).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡjän]
• Phonetic Devanagari: ग्यान्

Noun

ज्ञान • (gyān)

1. knowledge, wisdom
2. understanding
3. intelligence

References

• “ज्ञान”, in नेपाली बृहत् शब्दकोश (nepālī br̥hat śabdakoś) [Comprehensive Nepali Dictionary]‎^[1], Kathmandu: Nepal Academy, 2018
• Schmidt, Ruth L. (1993), “ज्ञान”, in A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali, Ratna Sagar

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• জ্ঞান (Assamese script)
• ᬚ᭄ᬜᬵᬦ (Balinese script)
• জ্ঞান (Bengali script)
• 𑰕𑰿𑰗𑰯𑰡 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀚𑁆𑀜𑀸𑀦 (Brahmi script)
• ဇ္ဉာန (Burmese script)
• જ્ઞાન (Gujarati script)
• ਜ੍ਞਾਨ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌾𑌨 (Grantha script)
• ꦘꦴꦤ (Javanese script)
• 𑂔𑂹𑂖𑂰𑂢 (Kaithi script)
• ಜ್ಞಾನ (Kannada script)
• ជ្ញាន (Khmer script)
• ຊ຺ຎານ (Lao script)
• ജ്ഞാന (Malayalam script)
• ᡯᠨᡳᠶᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠨᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘕𑘿𑘗𑘰𑘡 (Modi script)
• ᠽᡛᠠᢗᠨᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦵𑧠𑦷𑧑𑧁 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐖𑑂𑐘𑐵𑐣 (Newa script)
• ଜ୍ଞାନ (Odia script)
• ꢙ꣄ꢛꢵꢥ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆘𑇀𑆚𑆳𑆤 (Sharada script)
• 𑖕𑖿𑖗𑖯𑖡 (Siddham script)
• ඥාන (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩣 𑪙𑩥𑩛𑩯 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚑𑚶𑚓𑚭𑚝 (Takri script)
• ஜ்ஞாந (Tamil script)
• జ్ఞాన (Telugu script)
• ชฺญาน (Thai script)
• ཛྙཱ་ན (Tibetan script)
• 𑒖𑓂𑒘𑒰𑒢 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨥𑩇𑨓𑨊𑨝 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-

Sanskrit ज्ञा (jñā)

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Sanskrit -अन (-ana)

Sanskrit ज्ञान

From the root ज्ञा (jñā, “to know, be aware of”) +‎ -अन (-ana).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /d͡ʑɲɑː.nɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /d͡ʑɲɑː.n̪ɐ/

Noun

ज्ञान • (jñāna) stem, n

1. knowing, becoming acquainted with, knowledge, (esp.) the higher knowledge (in Buddhism, pure awareness free from conceptual constructs; in Hinduism, true knowledge of the Self's identity with the Ultimate Reality)
2. "knowledge about anything cognizance" (compare ज्ञानतस् (jñānatas) and अज्ञान (ajñāna))

   ज्ञानाद् अज्ञानाद् वा ― jñānād ajñānād vā ― knowingly or ignorantly

3. conscience
4. = ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (jñānendriya)
5. engaging in (+ genitive, e.g. सर्पिषस् (sarpiṣas, “in sacrifice with clarified butter”))
6. name of a shakti

Declension

Neuter a-stem declension of ज्ञान

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	ज्ञानम् (jñānam)	ज्ञाने (jñāne)	ज्ञानानि (jñānāni) ज्ञाना¹ (jñānā¹)
accusative	ज्ञानम् (jñānam)	ज्ञाने (jñāne)	ज्ञानानि (jñānāni) ज्ञाना¹ (jñānā¹)
instrumental	ज्ञानेन (jñānena)	ज्ञानाभ्याम् (jñānābhyām)	ज्ञानैः (jñānaiḥ) ज्ञानेभिः¹ (jñānebhiḥ¹)
dative	ज्ञानाय (jñānāya)	ज्ञानाभ्याम् (jñānābhyām)	ज्ञानेभ्यः (jñānebhyaḥ)
ablative	ज्ञानात् (jñānāt)	ज्ञानाभ्याम् (jñānābhyām)	ज्ञानेभ्यः (jñānebhyaḥ)
genitive	ज्ञानस्य (jñānasya)	ज्ञानयोः (jñānayoḥ)	ज्ञानानाम् (jñānānām)
locative	ज्ञाने (jñāne)	ज्ञानयोः (jñānayoḥ)	ज्ञानेषु (jñāneṣu)
vocative	ज्ञान (jñāna)	ज्ञाने (jñāne)	ज्ञानानि (jñānāni) ज्ञाना¹ (jñānā¹)

• ¹Vedic

Derived terms

• अज्ञान (ajñāna, “ignorance”)
• ज्ञानपाल (jñānapāla)
• ज्ञानिन् (jñānin)
• प्रज्ञान (prajñāna, “knowledge, wisdom, intelligence”)
• विज्ञान (vijñāna, “cognitive capacity, discernment, intelligence; proficiency; consciousness”)

Descendants

• Maharastri Prakrit:
  • Old Marathi: जाण (j̈āṇ)
• Pali: ñāṇa
  • → Burmese: ဉာဏ် (nyan)
  • → Khmer: ញាណ (ñiən)
  • → Thai: ญาณ (yaan)
• Prakrit:
  • Gujarati: જાણ (jāṇ)
  • Hindi: जान (jān)
  • Punjabi: ਜਾਣ (jāṇ)
• → Assamese: জ্ঞান (gyan) (learned)
• → Bengali: জ্ঞান (gên) (learned)
• → English: jnana (learned)
• → Gujarati: જ્ઞાન (jñān) (learned)
• → Hindustani:
  • Hindi: ज्ञान (jñān)
  • Urdu: گیان (gyān)
• → Kannada: ಜ್ಞಾನ (jñāna)
• → Nepali: ज्ञान (gyān)
• → Old Marathi: 𑘕𑘿𑘗𑘰𑘡 (jñāna)
  • Marathi: ज्ञान (jñān)
• → Punjabi: ਗਿਆਨ (giāna)
• → Old Tamil: 𑀜𑀸𑀷𑀫𑁆 (ñāṉam)
  • Tamil: ஞானம் (ñāṉam)
• → Telugu: జ్ఞానము (jñānamu)
• → Sylheti: ꠉꠤꠀꠘ (gian)

References

• Monier Williams (1899), “ज्ञान”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 426, column 1.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “jñāna”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 291
• Hellwig, Oliver (2010–2026), “jñāna”, in DCS - The Digital Corpus of Sanskrit, Berlin, Germany.