Jobs & professions in Hindi
Around twenty common occupations in Hindi — doctor, teacher, farmer, engineer and more — with the gender forms that matter and the question आप क्या काम करते हैं? (what do you do?).
"So, what do you do?" is one of the first questions you'll be asked when you meet someone in India, and being able to answer — and ask back — opens up a lot of conversation. Job words also turn up constantly in directions ("ask the shopkeeper"), introductions, and stories about family. This page gives you the core occupations plus the grammar quirk that surprises most learners: many Hindi job titles change shape for men and women.
Three words sit behind all of this. काम (kaam) is "work" in the broadest sense, नौकरी (naukri) is a salaried "job", and पेशा (pesha) is "profession". To ask someone's occupation you say आप क्या काम करते हैं? (aap kya kaam karte hain?) — to a woman, करती हैं?
Common professions
| English | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | डॉक्टर | doctor |
| Teacher | अध्यापक | adhyaapak |
| Teacher (alt.) | शिक्षक | shikshak |
| Farmer | किसान | kisaan |
| Engineer | इंजीनियर | engineer |
| Lawyer | वकील | vakeel |
| Nurse | नर्स | nurse |
| Shopkeeper | दुकानदार | dukaandaar |
| Police officer | पुलिसकर्मी | police-karmi |
| Soldier | सैनिक | sainik |
| Cook | रसोइया | rasoiya |
| Driver | ड्राइवर | driver |
| Tailor | दर्ज़ी | darzi |
| Carpenter | बढ़ई | badhai |
| Businessman / trader | व्यापारी | vyaapaari |
| Clerk | क्लर्क | clerk |
| Writer / author | लेखक | lekhak |
| Scientist | वैज्ञानिक | vaigyaanik |
| Artist | कलाकार | kalaakaar |
| Student | विद्यार्थी | vidyaarthi |
Masculine & feminine forms
| English | Male / Female (Hindi) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | अध्यापक / अध्यापिका | adhyaapak / adhyaapika |
| Teacher (alt.) | शिक्षक / शिक्षिका | shikshak / shikshika |
| Writer | लेखक / लेखिका | lekhak / lekhika |
| Actor | अभिनेता / अभिनेत्री | abhineta / abhinetri |
| Cook | रसोइया / रसोइन | rasoiya / rasoin |
Usage notes & common mistakes
Answering the question. To say your job, use मैं ... हूँ (main ... hoon, "I am a ..."): मैं डॉक्टर हूँ ("I am a doctor"). Hindi drops the "a/an", so you don't translate the article.
The verb must agree too. When you ask "what do you do?", the verb करते (do) is masculine; for a woman it becomes करती. So you might hear both आप क्या काम करते हैं? and करती हैं? depending on who's being asked.
काम vs. नौकरी. Use काम for work or a task in general; use नौकरी specifically for paid employment. "I'm looking for a job" is मुझे नौकरी चाहिए (mujhe naukri chaahiye).
A frequent error is using a masculine title for a woman. If you know someone is a female teacher, अध्यापिका is more natural than अध्यापक. When in doubt, the everyday borrowed word (like टीचर) sidesteps the issue.
Translate your own text
Need to write a job title, a CV line, or an introduction in Hindi? Type your English below.