mantra

See also: Mantra and man trá

English

The mantra Om Namah Shivaya in Devanagari script

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántras, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”). Related to mind.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmæn.tɹə/, /ˈmʌn.tɹə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑn.tɹə/, /ˈmæn.tɹə/, /ˈmʌn.tɹə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

mantra (plural mantras)

1. (Hinduism) The hymn portions of the Vedas; any passage of these used as a prayer. [from 1808]

   Synonyms: incantation, intonation, recitation

   • 2001, Gautam Chatterjee, Sacred Hindu Symbols, Abhinav Publications, →ISBN, page 36:

     This mantra is also known as Guru Mantra or Savitri Mantra. The mention of Gayatri Mantra is found in all the four Vedas where its essence has been explained repeatedly. The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedic scriptures, has mentioned about […]

2. (originally Hinduism) A phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation. [from 1956]

   Hyponyms: gatha, om, om mani padme hum

   • 1999, Ryûichi Abé, The Weaving of Mantra: Kûkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse, Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 300:

     However, the five-syllable mantra is unique, for according to Kukai, it unleashes the power of emptiness already impregnated in each letter as a primeval episode of the Dharmakaya's cosmic meditation in which he created all sorts of mantras […]

3. (by extension) A slogan or phrase often repeated.

   Synonyms: catchphrase, phrase, saying, slogan

   • 2014 November 14, Stephen Halliday, “Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero”, in The Scotsman‎^[1]:

     The pre-match mantra from the Scotland camp may have been of it not being a “must win” game but that fooled no-one, Poland’s win in Georgia earlier last night simply crystallised how vital it was for the Scots not to lose any more ground at this stage of an intensely competitive campaign.

Derived terms

• mantraless
• mantralike
• mantric

Translations

the hymn portions of the Vedas

• Armenian: մանտրա (mantra)
• Belarusian: ма́нтра f (mántra)
• Bengali: মন্ত্র (bn) (montro)
• Bulgarian: ма́нтра f (mántra)
• Burmese: မန္တန် (my) (mantan)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 曼特羅 / 曼特罗 (màntèluó), 曼怛羅 / 曼怛罗 (màndáluó)

• Finnish: mantra (fi)
• French: mantra (fr) m
• Georgian: მანტრა (manṭra)
• German: Mantra (de) n
• Greek: μάντρα (el) (mántra)
• Gujarati: મંત્ર (mantra)
• Hindi: मंत्र (hi) m (mantra)
• Hungarian: mantra (hu)
• Indonesian: mantra (id)
• Japanese: マントラ (ja) (mantora)
• Kannada: ಮಂತ್ರ (kn) (mantra)
• Khmer: មន្ត (km) (mŭən), មន្ត្រ (mŭən)
• Korean: 만트라 (manteura)
• Lao: ມົນ (mon)
• Macedonian: мантра f (mantra)
• Malay: mentera, mantera, mantra
• Malayalam: മന്ത്രം (ml) (mantraṁ)
• Marathi: मंत्र (mr) n (mantra)
• Pali: manta n
• Punjabi: ਮੰਤਰ ? (mantar)
• Russian: ма́нтра (ru) f (mántra)
• Sanskrit: मन्त्र (sa) m or n (mantra)
• Sinhalese: මන්තර (mantara)
• Tamil: மந்திரம் (ta) (mantiram)
• Telugu: మంత్రం (te) (mantraṁ)
• Thai: มนตร์ (th) (mon)
• Tibetan: མན་རྡ་ར (man rda ra)
• Ukrainian: ма́нтра (uk) f (mántra)
• Vietnamese: mạn-đát-la, man-tra

a phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation

• Avestan: 𐬨𐬄𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mąθra)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 真言 (zh) (zhēnyán)

• Finnish: mantra (fi)
• French: mantra (fr) m, incantation (fr) f
• German: Mantra (de) n
• Hindi: मंत्र (hi) m (mantra)
• Hungarian: mantra (hu)
• Indonesian: mantra (id)
• Japanese: 真言 (ja) (shingon)
• Macedonian: мантра f (mantra)
• Malay: mentera, mantera; jampi; serapah
• Marathi: मंत्र (mr) n (mantra)
• Polish: mantra (pl) f
• Portuguese: mantra (pt) m
• Spanish: mantra (es) m

a slogan or phrase often repeated

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 口頭禪 / 口头禅 (zh) (kǒutóuchán)

• Finnish: mantra (fi)
• French: slogan (fr) m, mantra (fr) m
• German: Mantra (de) n
• Hindi: मंत्र (hi) m (mantra)
• Hungarian: mantra (hu)
• Italian: mantra (it) m, ritornello (it) m
• Korean: 염불 (ko) (yeombul)
• Macedonian: мантра f (mantra)
• Marathi: मंत्र (mr) n (mantra)
• Polish: mantra (pl) f
• Portuguese: mantra (pt) m
• Russian: ма́нтра (ru) f (mántra)

See also

• aum, om

Anagrams

• Artman

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Noun

mantra n (singular definite mantraet, plural indefinite mantraer)

1. mantra

Declension

Declension of mantra

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mantra	mantraet	mantraer	mantraerne
genitive	mantras	mantraets	mantraers	mantraernes

References

• “mantra” in Den Danske Ordbog

Finnish

Etymology

From Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑntrɑ/, [ˈmɑ̝n̪.t̪rɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑntrɑ
• Syllabification^(key): mant‧ra
• Hyphenation^(key): mant‧ra

Noun

mantra

1. mantra

Declension

Inflection of mantra (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mantra	mantrat
genitive		mantran	mantrojen
partitive		mantraa	mantroja
illative		mantraan	mantroihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mantra	mantrat
accusative	nom.	mantra	mantrat
	gen.	mantran
genitive		mantran	mantrojen mantrain rare
partitive		mantraa	mantroja
inessive		mantrassa	mantroissa
elative		mantrasta	mantroista
illative		mantraan	mantroihin
adessive		mantralla	mantroilla
ablative		mantralta	mantroilta
allative		mantralle	mantroille
essive		mantrana	mantroina
translative		mantraksi	mantroiksi
abessive		mantratta	mantroitta
instructive		—	mantroin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mantra (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mantrani mantrani accusative nom. mantrani mantrani gen. mantrani genitive mantrani mantrojeni mantraini rare partitive mantraani mantrojani inessive mantrassani mantroissani elative mantrastani mantroistani illative mantraani mantroihini adessive mantrallani mantroillani ablative mantraltani mantroiltani allative mantralleni mantroilleni essive mantranani mantroinani translative mantrakseni mantroikseni abessive mantrattani mantroittani instructive — — comitative — mantroineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mantrasi mantrasi accusative nom. mantrasi mantrasi gen. mantrasi genitive mantrasi mantrojesi mantraisi rare partitive mantraasi mantrojasi inessive mantrassasi mantroissasi elative mantrastasi mantroistasi illative mantraasi mantroihisi adessive mantrallasi mantroillasi ablative mantraltasi mantroiltasi allative mantrallesi mantroillesi essive mantranasi mantroinasi translative mantraksesi mantroiksesi abessive mantrattasi mantroittasi instructive — — comitative — mantroinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mantramme mantramme accusative nom. mantramme mantramme gen. mantramme genitive mantramme mantrojemme mantraimme rare partitive mantraamme mantrojamme inessive mantrassamme mantroissamme elative mantrastamme mantroistamme illative mantraamme mantroihimme adessive mantrallamme mantroillamme ablative mantraltamme mantroiltamme allative mantrallemme mantroillemme essive mantranamme mantroinamme translative mantraksemme mantroiksemme abessive mantrattamme mantroittamme instructive — — comitative — mantroinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mantranne mantranne accusative nom. mantranne mantranne gen. mantranne genitive mantranne mantrojenne mantrainne rare partitive mantraanne mantrojanne inessive mantrassanne mantroissanne elative mantrastanne mantroistanne illative mantraanne mantroihinne adessive mantrallanne mantroillanne ablative mantraltanne mantroiltanne allative mantrallenne mantroillenne essive mantrananne mantroinanne translative mantraksenne mantroiksenne abessive mantrattanne mantroittanne instructive — — comitative — mantroinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative mantransa mantransa accusative nom. mantransa mantransa gen. mantransa genitive mantransa mantrojensa mantrainsa rare partitive mantraansa mantrojaan mantrojansa inessive mantrassaan mantrassansa mantroissaan mantroissansa elative mantrastaan mantrastansa mantroistaan mantroistansa illative mantraansa mantroihinsa adessive mantrallaan mantrallansa mantroillaan mantroillansa ablative mantraltaan mantraltansa mantroiltaan mantroiltansa allative mantralleen mantrallensa mantroilleen mantroillensa essive mantranaan mantranansa mantroinaan mantroinansa translative mantrakseen mantraksensa mantroikseen mantroiksensa abessive mantrattaan mantrattansa mantroittaan mantroittansa instructive — — comitative — mantroineen mantroinensa

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

Anagrams

• martan

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɑ̃.tʁa/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

Noun

mantra m (plural mantras)

1. mantra

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Indonesian

Alternative forms

• mantera (proscribed)
• mantram (proscribed, rare)

Etymology

From Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈmantra/ [ˈman̪.t̪ra]
• Rhymes: -antra
• Syllabification: man‧tra

Noun

mantra (plural mantra-mantra)

1. spell (a formula supposed to have magical powers)

   Synonym: jampi

Derived terms

Affixed form

• bermantrakan
• memantrai
• memantrakan
• pemantraan
• termantrai

Compounds

• mantra gajah
• mantra kejahatan
• mantra keselamatan
• mantra penawar
• mantra penenang
• mantra pitanggang
• mantra tantra

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Malay

Alternative forms

• mantera

Etymology

From Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Noun

mantra (Jawi spelling منترا, plural mantra-mantra or mantra²)

1. incantation
2. mantra

Synonyms

• jampi

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántras, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈman.tra/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -antra
• Syllabification: man‧tra

Noun

mantra f

1. (Hinduism) mantra (phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation)
2. (figuratively) mantra (slogan or phrase often repeated)

Declension

Declension of mantra

	singular	plural
nominative	mantra	mantry
genitive	mantry	mantr
dative	mantrze	mantrom
accusative	mantrę	mantry
instrumental	mantrą	mantrami
locative	mantrze	mantrach
vocative	mantro	mantry

Derived terms

verb

• mantrować

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “mantra”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr

Proto-Indo-European *-trom

Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántras

Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra)bor.

Portuguese mantra

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.tɾɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.tɾɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.tɾa/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmɐ̃.tɾɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɐ̃tɾɐ
• Hyphenation: man‧tra

Noun

mantra m (plural mantras)

1. (Hinduism) mantra (a phrase repeated to assist concentration during meditation)
2. (figurative) mantra (a slogan or phrase often repeated)

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “mantra”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “mantra”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “mantra”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French mantra.

Noun

mantra f (plural mantra)

1. mantra

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mântra/
• Hyphenation: man‧tra

Noun

mȁntra f (Cyrillic spelling ма̏нтра)

1. mantra (all senses)

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *men-

Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr

Proto-Indo-European *-trom

Proto-Indo-Iranian *mántras

Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra)bor.

Spanish mantra

Borrowed from Sanskrit मन्त्र (mantra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmantɾa/ [ˈmãn̪.t̪ɾa]
• Rhymes: -antɾa
• Syllabification: man‧tra

Noun

mantra m (plural mantras)

1. mantra (a phrase repeated during meditation)

Further reading

• “mantra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025