Meaning & use
Ganges
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Meaning
proper nounproper
A major river in northern India and Bangladesh, sacred to Hindus and important for farming in the region.
Grammar: Used with 'the': the Ganges. It is a singular proper noun, so it takes a singular verb: The Ganges flows...
Patterns
- the Ganges
- the Ganges River
- along the Ganges
The Ganges flows from the Himalayas through northern India and into the Bay of Bengal.
Millions of Hindus consider the Ganges a holy river and bathe in its waters.
Farmers along the Ganges depend on its water for their crops.
Common combinations
- the Ganges River
- The Ganges River is one of the longest rivers in Asia.
- sacred Ganges
- Pilgrims travel to the sacred Ganges to perform rituals.
- along the Ganges
- Many ancient cities grew along the Ganges.
- Ganges delta
- The Ganges delta is the largest river delta in the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Ganga
- The Hindi name for the same river, widely used in India and in English texts about Hinduism.
Commonly confused: Ganges or Ganges?
Ganges vs Ganges
Not to be confused with 'gangs' (plural of gang) or 'gangster'; the river name is pronounced /ˈɡændʒiːz/ and is always used with 'the'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Ganges' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The Ganges is a proper noun used with 'the' and takes a singular verb, so option 1 is correct. Option 0 is factually wrong (it is in Asia), option 2 omits 'the', and option 3 treats it as a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Ganges”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.