# Hindi: ह्रदय



## Wolverine9

I know that in regional variations, this word can be pronounced _hirday_, but in standard speech it's _hriday_. However, when I listen to the standard pronunciation, it just sounds like _riday _to me. Is the initial _h_ supposed to be silent? If not, how would you describe the pronunciation of the _hr_? Do most pronounce it with _hr _or _r_?

Thanks


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## littlepond

Most people pronounce it as "hriday", with the "h". Never heard a "riday". I have heard some "hirday", but that is not so common as "hriday", at least in my experience.


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## Wolverine9

Is the _h _in _hriday _very subtle? To the untrained ear, it's hard to detect.


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## littlepond

I personally don't think so. Let's wait for other opinions and experiences.


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## tonyspeed

Since hriday is a word found in bookish speech, I find it difficult to believe 'h' would be omitted in anyone's speech as happens in other Hindi words. What might be throwing you off is that it might be an unvoiced h.


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## marrish

It is I think the same phenomenon as in *हृथिक रोशन *


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## littlepond

tonyspeed said:


> Since hriday is a word found in bookish speech ...



I don't know from where do you get this strange idea, tonyspeed jii: "hriday" is actually a very emotional word, used a lot within many Hindi-speaking families. Yes, it is not used that much with outside acquaintances and friends, since, as I said, it is a highly charged word. It is by no means a "bookish speech" word.


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## littlepond

marrish said:


> It is I think the same phenomenon as in *हृथिक रोशन *



Well, the first "h" is pronounced even there (though yes there are some people who do not pronounce the first 'h' of "Hrithik"; by the way, the second 'h' in this name is hardly ever pronounced - most people I know call him "Hritik" and not "Hrithik").


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## marrish

littlepond said:


> "hriday" is actually a very emotional word, used a lot within many Hindi-speaking families. Yes, it is not used that much with outside acquaintances and friends, since, as I said, it is a highly charged word. It is by no means a "bookish speech" word.


मैं आपके व्याख्यान से पूरा सहमत हूँ।

जी हाँ, मैंने ह्रितिक या रितिक ही सुना है, ति के साथ न कि थि। रितिक अधिकतर ही सुना होगा।

EDIT: the word in the title is not spelled properly, it should be हृदय. Unless I'm wrong...


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## Wolverine9

marrish said:


> EDIT: the word in the title is not spelled properly, it should be हृदय. Unless I'm wrong...



Yes, you're right.


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## tonyspeed

littlepond said:


> by the way, the second 'h' in this name is hardly ever pronounced - most people I know call him "Hritik" and not "Hrithik").


 This is a well known oral phenomenon.  If there is one aspiration in a word,  the second is often dropped.


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## tonyspeed

littlepond said:


> I don't know from where do you get this strange idea, tonyspeed jii: "hriday" is actually a very emotional word,


 Bookish words tend to develop  extra meaning especially since they are only used in certain contexts.  This is a normal language phenomenon.


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## marrish

littlepond said:


> Well, the first "h" is pronounced even there (though yes there are some people who do not pronounce the first 'h' of "Hrithik"; by the way, the second 'h' in this name is hardly ever pronounced - most people I know call him "Hritik" and not "Hrithik").
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tonyspeed said:
> 
> 
> 
> This is a well known oral phenomenon.  If there is one aspiration in a word,  the second is often dropped.
Click to expand...

I agree as much as to acknowledge that such phenomenon exists but I doubt strongly whether it occurs here. I am also doubtful about this name itself. Perhaps there is no "th" at all.


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## tarkshya

marrish said:


> EDIT: the word in the title is not spelled properly, it should be हृदय. Unless I'm wrong...



Therein lies the root cause of apparent "riday" pronunciation. The r sound in the word is not coming from consonant r, but from the vocalic r ऋ. The correct pronunciation should be "hrday", where the r itself serves as a vowel between h and d.


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## Khaanabadosh

hriday or hirday are the two variants I have heard in spoken language.

Hrithik is written like this in Hindi if I'm not wrong - ऋतिक


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## littlepond

marrish said:


> I doubt strongly whether it occurs here. I am also doubtful about this name itself. Perhaps there is no "th" at all.



I also agree with marrish jii: I don't think that the name _should_ contain any "th" and _hence_ no one pronounces it. The "h" might be there for just Hrithik's father's numerological penchant.


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