प्रश्नोत्तरी · Praśnottarī
Sanskrit Quiz
Ten questions, picked at random each round from a bank of thirty — Sanskrit words, numbers, grammar, the alphabet and the Sanskrit calendar. Every answer comes with a one-line explanation, so you learn as you play.
Question 1 of 10
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All quiz questions and answers
Every round picks 10 at random from this bank of 30. Prefer to revise first? Here is the full list.
| # | Question | Answer |
| 1 | What is the Sanskrit word for 'five'? | पञ्च — पञ्च (pañca) is five — related to Greek 'penta'. |
| 2 | What does दश (daśa) mean? | Ten — दश is ten; शतम् is a hundred and सहस्रम् a thousand. |
| 3 | Which number is शतम् (śatam)? | 100 — शतम् = 100. Hindi सौ comes from it. |
| 4 | Which month begins the Sanskrit lunar year (Chaitradi reckoning)? | Chaitra — The year begins at Chaitra Shukla Pratipada — Gudi Padwa / Ugadi. |
| 5 | Diwali falls on the Amavasya of which month? | Kartika — Diwali is Kartika Amavasya (in the Amanta reckoning). |
| 6 | How many Ritus (seasons) are there in the Sanskrit calendar? | 6 — Six: Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta, Shishira. |
| 7 | Which Ritu is spring? | Vasanta — Vasanta is spring; Grishma is summer. |
| 8 | How many years are in the Samvatsara cycle? | 60 — The Samvatsara cycle names 60 years in a repeating sequence. |
| 9 | How many Nakshatras are used in the Panchanga? | 27 — 27 Nakshatras (lunar mansions). |
| 10 | How many Tithis are there in one Paksha (fortnight)? | 15 — 15 Tithis per Paksha — 30 in a lunar month. |
| 11 | Which is NOT one of the five limbs of the Panchanga? | Rashi — The five are Tithi, Vara, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. |
| 12 | How long is one Muhurta? | 48 minutes — A Muhurta is 1/30 of a day — 48 minutes. |
| 13 | How many Vibhaktis (cases) does Sanskrit grammar count, including Sambodhana? | 8 — Seven cases plus Sambodhana (vocative) make eight. |
| 14 | Which Vibhakti expresses 'for' (the recipient or purpose)? | Chaturthi — Chaturthi (dative): रामाय = for Rama. |
| 15 | Which Vibhakti expresses 'in' or 'on' (location)? | Saptami — Saptami (locative): गृहे = in the house. |
| 16 | How many grammatical numbers does Sanskrit have? | 3 — Singular, dual and plural (एकवचन, द्विवचन, बहुवचन). |
| 17 | Which gender does Sanskrit have that Hindi does not? | Neuter — Napumsakalinga — neuter, as in जलम्, फलम्. |
| 18 | Who wrote the Ashtadhyayi, the classic grammar of Sanskrit? | Panini — Panini, around the 4th century BCE or earlier. |
| 19 | What does जलम् (jalam) mean? | Water — जलम् = water; अग्निः = fire, वायुः = air. |
| 20 | What does पुस्तकम् mean? | Book — पुस्तकम् = book. |
| 21 | What is the Sanskrit word for 'friend'? | मित्रम् — मित्रम् = friend (neuter in Sanskrit). |
| 22 | What does श्वः (śvaḥ) mean? | Tomorrow — श्वः = tomorrow; ह्यः = yesterday; अद्य = today. |
| 23 | Which word means 'where?' | कुत्र — कुत्र = where; कदा = when; कथम् = how; किमर्थम् = why. |
| 24 | How do you say 'thank you' in Sanskrit? | धन्यवादः — धन्यवादः; स्वागतम् = welcome; क्षम्यताम् = sorry. |
| 25 | The क-varga (क ख ग घ ङ) is pronounced from which part of the mouth? | Throat — क-varga sounds are कण्ठ्य — guttural, from the throat. |
| 26 | Which sounds are ओष्ठ्य (labial)? | प फ ब भ — प-varga is pronounced with the lips. |
| 27 | What is the Sanskrit word for 'sun'? | सूर्यः — सूर्यः = sun; चन्द्रः = moon. |
| 28 | गजः (gajaḥ) is which animal? | Elephant — गजः = elephant — as in Gajanana, 'elephant-faced' Ganesha. |
| 29 | What does the Sanskrit root √gam mean? | To go — √gam = to go: गच्छति, आगमन, निर्गमन. |
| 30 | Which verb form means 'I read'? | पठामि — पठामि = I read; पठति = he/she reads; पठन्ति = they read. |
Frequently asked questions
How does the Sanskrit quiz work?
Each round shows 10 multiple-choice questions picked at random from 30. Choose an answer to see whether it is right and why, then move on. Press 'Play again' for a new set.
Who is this quiz for?
Beginners and school students who know a little Sanskrit, and anyone curious about the Sanskrit calendar. No sign-up is needed.
Where can I learn the answers?
Every topic links to a page on this site: the Sanskrit dictionary, numbers 1–100, the Vibhakti chart, the Varnamala and the Panchanga.