गुरु

See also: गुरू, गरि, गिरी, गोरा, गोर, गोरी, गिरि, and गौर

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit गुरु (guru), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷréh₂us.

Pronunciation

(Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /ɡʊ.ɾuː/

Adjective

गुरु • (guru) (indeclinable, Urdu spelling گرو‎)

heavy
Synonym: भारी (bhārī)

Derived terms

गुरुत्व (gurutva)

Noun

गुरु • (guru) m (Urdu spelling گرو‎)

guru, teacher, sage
(astronomy) Jupiter
(slang, sarcastic) a smartass

Declension

Declension of गुरु (masc u-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	गुरु guru	गुरु guru
oblique	गुरु guru	गुरुओं guruõ
vocative	गुरु guru	गुरुओ guruo

Nepali

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɡuɾu]

Phonetic Devanagari: गुरु

Noun

गुरु • (guru)

teacher, guru
mentor

Declension

Declension of गुरु
	Singular	Plural
nominative	गुरु [ɡuɾu]	गुरुहरू [ɡuɾuʌɾu]
accusative	गुरुलाई [ɡuɾuläi]	गुरुहरूलाई [ɡuɾuʌɾuläi]
instrumental/ergative	गुरुले [ɡuɾule]	गुरुहरूले [ɡuɾuʌɾule]
dative	गुरुलाई [ɡuɾuläi]	गुरुहरूलाई [ɡuɾuʌɾuläi]
ablative	गुरुबाट [ɡuɾubäʈʌ]	गुरुहरूबाट [ɡuɾuʌɾubäʈʌ]
genitive	गुरुको [ɡuɾuko]	गुरुहरूको [ɡuɾuʌɾuko]
locative	गुरुमा [ɡuɾumä]	गुरुहरूमा [ɡuɾuʌɾumä]

Notes: -को (-ko) becomes: -का (-kā) when followed by a plural noun. -की (-kī) when followed by a feminine noun.

References

“गुरु”, in नेपाली बृहत् शब्दकोश (Nepālī Br̥hat Śabdakoś) [Comprehensive Nepali Dictionary], Kathmandu: Nepal Academy, 2018
Schmidt, Ruth L. (1993), “गुरु”, in A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali, Ratna Sagar

Pali

Alternative forms

guru (Latin script)
𑀕𑀼𑀭𑀼 (Brahmi script)
গুরু (Bengali script)
ගුරු (Sinhalese script)
ဂုရု or ၷုရု (Burmese script)
คุรุ (Thai script)
ᨣᩩᩁᩩ (Tai Tham script)
ຄຸຣຸ (Lao script)
គុរុ (Khmer script)
𑄉𑄪𑄢𑄪 (Chakma script)

Adjective

गुरु

Devanagari script form of guru (“heavy”)

Declension

Declension table of "गुरु" (masculine)

Case \\ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	गुरु (guru)	गुरवो (guravo) or गुरू (gurū)
Accusative (second)	गुरुं (guruṃ)	गुरवो (guravo) or गुरू (gurū)
Instrumental (third)	गुरुना (gurunā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Dative (fourth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	गुरुस्मा (gurusmā) or गुरुम्हा (gurumhā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Genitive (sixth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	गुरुस्मिं (gurusmiṃ) or गुरुम्हि (gurumhi)	गुरूसु (gurūsu)
Vocative (calling)	गुरु (guru)	गुरवे (gurave) or गुरवो (guravo)

Declension table of "गुरुनी" (feminine)

Case \\ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	गुरुनी (gurunī)	गुरुनियो (guruniyo) or गुरुनी (gurunī)
Accusative (second)	गुरुनिं (guruniṃ) or गुरुनियं (guruniyaṃ)	गुरुनियो (guruniyo) or गुरुनी (gurunī)
Instrumental (third)	गुरुनिया (guruniyā)	गुरुनीहि (gurunīhi) or गुरुनीभि (gurunībhi)
Dative (fourth)	गुरुनिया (guruniyā)	गुरुनीनं (gurunīnaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	गुरुनिया (guruniyā)	गुरुनीहि (gurunīhi) or गुरुनीभि (gurunībhi)
Genitive (sixth)	गुरुनिया (guruniyā)	गुरुनीनं (gurunīnaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	गुरुनिया (guruniyā) or गुरुनियं (guruniyaṃ)	गुरुनीसु (gurunīsu)
Vocative (calling)	गुरुनि (guruni)	गुरुनियो (guruniyo) or गुरुनी (gurunī)

Declension table of "गुरु" (neuter)

Case \\ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	गुरु (guru)	गुरूनि (gurūni) or गुरू (gurū)
Accusative (second)	गुरुं (guruṃ)	गुरूनि (gurūni) or गुरू (gurū)
Instrumental (third)	गुरुना (gurunā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Dative (fourth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	गुरुस्मा (gurusmā) or गुरुम्हा (gurumhā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Genitive (sixth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	गुरुस्मिं (gurusmiṃ) or गुरुम्हि (gurumhi)	गुरूसु (gurūsu)
Vocative (calling)	गुरु (guru)	गुरूनि (gurūni) or गुरू (gurū)

Noun

गुरु m

Devanagari script form of guru (“teacher”)

Declension

Declension table of "गुरु" (masculine)

Case \\ Number	Singular	Plural
Nominative (first)	गुरु (guru)	गुरवो (guravo) or गुरू (gurū)
Accusative (second)	गुरुं (guruṃ)	गुरवो (guravo) or गुरू (gurū)
Instrumental (third)	गुरुना (gurunā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Dative (fourth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Ablative (fifth)	गुरुस्मा (gurusmā) or गुरुम्हा (gurumhā)	गुरूहि (gurūhi) or गुरूभि (gurūbhi)
Genitive (sixth)	गुरुस्स (gurussa) or गुरुनो (guruno)	गुरूनं (gurūnaṃ)
Locative (seventh)	गुरुस्मिं (gurusmiṃ) or गुरुम्हि (gurumhi)	गुरूसु (gurūsu)
Vocative (calling)	गुरु (guru)	गुरवे (gurave) or गुरवो (guravo)

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

ᬕᬸᬭᬸ (Balinese script)
গুৰু (Assamese script)
গুরু (Bengali script)
𑰐𑰲𑰨𑰲 (Bhaiksuki script)
𑀕𑀼𑀭𑀼 (Brahmi script)
𑌗𑍁𑌰𑍁 (Grantha script)
ગુરુ (Gujarati script)
ਗੁਰੁ (Gurmukhi script)
ꦒꦸꦫꦸ (Javanese script)
គុរុ (Khmer script)
ಗುರು (Kannada script)
ຄຸຣຸ (Lao script)
ഗുരു (Malayalam script)
𑘐𑘳𑘨𑘳 (Modi script)
ᠺᠤᠷᠤ (Mongolian script)
ᡤᡠᡵᡠ (Manchu script)
ဂုရု (Burmese script)
𑦰𑧔𑧈𑧔 (Nandinagari script)
𑐐𑐸𑐬𑐸 (Newa script)
ଗୁରୁ (Oriya script)
ꢔꢸꢬꢸ (Saurashtra script)
𑆓𑆶𑆫𑆶 (Sharada script)
𑖐𑖲𑖨𑗜 (Siddham script)
ගුරු (Sinhalese script)
గురు (Telugu script)
คุรุ (Thai script)
གུ་རུ (Tibetan script)
𑒑𑒳𑒩𑒳 (Tirhuta script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *gr̥Húṣ, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *gr̥Húš, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥h₂ús (“heavy”). Cognate with Ancient Greek βαρύς (barús), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌿𐍃 (kaurus, “burdensome”), Latin gravis, Persian ‎ (gerân).

Pronunciation

(Vedic) IPA^(key): /ɡu.ɾú/
(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈɡu.ɾu/

Adjective

गुरु • (gurú)

heavy, weighty
- c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 4.5.6:
  इदं मे अग्ने कियते पावकामिनते गुरुं भारं न मन्म।
  बृहद्दधाथ धृषता गभीरं यह्वं पृष्ठं प्रयसा सप्तधातु॥
  idaṃ me agne kiyate pāvakāminate guruṃ bhāraṃ na manma.
  bṛhaddadhātha dhṛṣatā gabhīraṃ yahvaṃ pṛṣṭhaṃ prayasā saptadhātu.
  To me, weak, innocent, thou, luminous Agni, hast boldly given as ’twere a heavy burthen,
  This Pṛṣṭha hymn, profound and strong and mighty, of seven elements, and with offered dainties.
heavy in the stomach (food), difficult to digest
great, large, extended, long
(in prosody) long by nature or position (a vowel)
high in degree, vehement, violent, excessive, difficult, hard
grievous
important, serious, momentous
valuable, highly prized
haughty, proud (speech)
venerable, respectable

Noun

गुरु • (gurú) m

guru
any venerable or respectable person (father, mother, or any relative older than oneself)
teacher
sage

Declension

Masculine u-stem declension of गुरु (gurú)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	गुरुः gurúḥ	गुरू gurū́	गुरवः gurávaḥ
Vocative	गुरो gúro	गुरू gúrū	गुरवः gúravaḥ
Accusative	गुरुम् gurúm	गुरू gurū́	गुरून् gurū́n
Instrumental	गुरुणा / गुर्वा¹ gurúṇā / gurvā̀¹	गुरुभ्याम् gurúbhyām	गुरुभिः gurúbhiḥ
Dative	गुरवे / गुर्वे² guráve / gurvè²	गुरुभ्याम् gurúbhyām	गुरुभ्यः gurúbhyaḥ
Ablative	गुरोः / गुर्वः² guróḥ / gurvàḥ²	गुरुभ्याम् gurúbhyām	गुरुभ्यः gurúbhyaḥ
Genitive	गुरोः / गुर्वः² guróḥ / gurvàḥ²	गुर्वोः gurvóḥ	गुरूणाम् gurūṇā́m
Locative	गुरौ guraú	गुर्वोः gurvóḥ	गुरुषु gurúṣu
Notes	¹Vedic ²Less common

Derived terms

गुरुकुल (gurukula)
गुरुत्व (gurutva)
गुरुदक्षिणा (gurudakṣiṇā)
गुरुपत्नी (gurupatnī)
गुरुपूजा (gurupūjā)
गुरुवार (guruvāra)
गुरुसेवा (gurusevā)

Descendants

Bengali: গুরু (guru)
→ English: guru
→ French: gourou
→ German: Guru
→ Greek: γκουρού (gkouroú)
Hindustani:
- Hindi: गुरु (guru)
- Urdu: گرو‎
→ Javanese: guru
→ Kannada: ಗುರು (guru)
→ Khmer: គ្រូ (kruu)
→ Lao: ຄູ (khū)
→ Lü: ᦆᦴ (xuu)
→ Malay: guru
- Indonesian: guru
- → Tagalog: guro
→ Malayalam: ഗുരു (guru)
Nepali: गह्रुङ्गो (gahruṅgo, “heavy”)
Pali: guru
→ Polish: guru
→ Portuguese: guru
Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ (gurū), ਗੁਰ (gur) گرو‎ (gurū)
→ Russian: гуру (guru)
→ Spanish: gurú
→ Tamil: குரு (kuru), குருவன் (kuruvaṉ)
→ Telugu: గురువు (guruvu)
→ Thai: ครู (kruu), คุรุ (kú-rú)
→ Tibetan: གུརུ (guru)