lakh
C2Specialist/Regional
Definition
Meaning
A unit in the South Asian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000).
Primarily used to count money, population, or other large quantities in contexts relating to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, often written as numerals (e.g., 5 lakh). In some regional contexts, it can represent an indefinitely large number.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Used as both a noun and a numeral quantifier. It is invariant in form (does not take 's' for plural in standard English usage, e.g., 'ten lakh rupees'). Often precedes the item being counted.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally understood in both varieties due to its specialist nature, but its usage in British English is more frequent and integrated due to historical colonial ties and a larger South Asian diaspora. In American English, it is less common and primarily encountered in financial, demographic, or cultural reports about South Asia.
Connotations
In both varieties, it strongly connotes South Asian contexts (finance, demographics, cricket scores). No inherent positive or negative connotation, but signals a specific cultural/regional frame of reference.
Frequency
Low frequency in general corpora for both. Higher in UK news and diaspora publications. In the US, it is almost exclusively found in international business or academic writing focused on South Asia.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NUMERAL + lakh + OF + NOUN (e.g., two lakh of voters)NUMERAL + lakh + NOUN (e.g., a five-lakh salary)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not for a lakh of rupees! (expressing strong refusal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in financial reports, salary negotiations, and project budgets related to South Asia. E.g., 'The deal was valued at over fifty lakh USD.'
Academic
Found in economics, demography, and South Asian studies papers when citing local data. E.g., 'The sample included households with an income below one lakh per annum.'
Everyday
Common in everyday speech within South Asian communities and in media from the region. Rare in everyday English elsewhere. E.g., 'My flat cost thirty-five lakh.'
Technical
A standard unit in Indian accounting, official statistics, and legal documents. Also used in cricket scoring in South Asia.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- He received a lakh-plus bonus.
- It's a one-lakh-capacity stadium.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The car costs about eight lakh rupees.
- More than one lakh people attended the festival.
- The government scheme provides insurance cover for up to two lakh rupees per family.
- She earns a salary of fifteen lakh per annum.
- The startup secured initial funding of several lakh from angel investors based in Bangalore.
- Census data indicated a population increase of nearly twenty lakh in the metropolitan area over the decade.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Lots of Cash' -> 'LAC' -> LAKH. It's a LOT of money (100,000).
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY IS SIZE/WEIGHT (a lakh is a 'heavy' sum, a 'weighty' figure).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with Russian 'лак' (varnish, lacquer).
- Do not translate as 'тысяча' (thousand) or 'миллион' (million). It is specifically 100,000.
- Note the invariant plural form; it is 'five lakh', not 'five lakhs' in standard usage.
Common Mistakes
- Adding an 's' for plural (e.g., 'ten lakhs rupees').
- Using it for non-round numbers (e.g., '1.5 lakh' is acceptable, but '1,57,000' is the standard Indian numbering format, not 'one lakh fifty-seven thousand' phrased awkwardly).
- Misplacing the noun (e.g., 'rupees ten lakh' instead of 'ten lakh rupees').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'lakh' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, in standard English usage, it is invariant. The correct form is 'ten lakh rupees', not 'ten lakhs rupees'. However, 'lakhs' is sometimes heard in colloquial speech.
One crore is equal to one hundred lakh, or ten million (10,000,000). They are sequential units in the South Asian numbering system.
It is highly uncommon. Its use immediately signals a South Asian frame of reference. In international finance or reporting, figures are usually converted and stated as 'hundred thousand' or 'million'.
It is read as 'five lakh'. The Indian numbering system groups the last three digits and then digits in pairs from the right, so 5,00,000 represents 5 x 100,000.