भाई

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇 (bhāi), 𑀪𑀸𑀉 (bhāu), 𑀪𑀸𑀆 (bhāā), from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrā́tṛ), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr (“brother”). Cognate with Punjabi ਭਰਾ (bharā) / بھرا (bharā), Sindhi भाऊ / ڀاءُ (bhāū), Gujarati ભાઈ (bhāī), Marathi भाऊ (bhāū), Bengali ভাই (bhai). Persian برادر (barâdar), Ancient Greek φράτηρ (phrátēr), Latin frāter, Old Norse bróðir and Old English brōþor (English brother).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbʱa(ː)i(ː)]

Noun

भाई • (bhāī) m (feminine बहन, Urdu spelling بھائی)

1. brother

   Synonyms: (formal) भ्रातृ (bhrātŕ), (formal) भ्राता (bhrātā), भाऊ (bhāū), भैया (bhaiyā), बिरादर (birādar)

   मेरा छोटा भाई बहुत मासूम है।

   merā choṭā bhāī bahut māsūm hai.

   My younger brother is very naïve.

2. (informal, vocative) used to refer to any male person

   भाई-साहब ― bhāī-sāhab ― sir, mister

3. (informal, vocative) dude, friend, bro

   Synonym: यार (yār)

Declension

Declension of भाई (masc ind ī-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	भाई bhāī	भाई bhāī
oblique	भाई bhāī	भाइयों bhāiyõ
vocative	भाई bhāī	भाइयो bhāiyo

Related terms

• भैया (bhaiyā)

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “भाई”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “bhrāˊtr̥”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press
• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “भाई”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “भाई”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• Caturvedi, Mahendra, Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970) “भाई”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House
• Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975) “भाई”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. Sea of Hindi words] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha

Old Gujarati

Etymology

From Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇 (bhāi), 𑀪𑀸𑀉 (bhāu), 𑀪𑀸𑀆 (bhāā),, from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrā́tṛ), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr (“brother”).

Noun

भाई • (bhāī) m

1. brother

Descendants

• Gujarati: ભાઈ (bhāī)