به

See also: ته, بہٕ, په, پہ, and تۀ

Arabic

Etymology

From the preposition بِ (bi) + the pronoun ـهُ (hu, hū).

Prepositional phrase

به • (bih؜ī)

1. for him/it, with him/it
2. in him/it, at him/it, on him/it
3. with him/it, in connection with him/it
4. through him/it, by means of him/it
5. by him/it

---

Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bah/
• Rhymes: -bah, -ah

Etymology 1

From Proto-Malayic *bah, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *bah, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *bah, from , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahaq, from Proto-Austronesian *bahaq.

Alternative forms

• bah

Noun

به (Rumi spelling bah, plural به٢)

1. flood (overflow of water)

Synonyms

• banjir / بنجير

Etymology 2

Shortened form of ابه, from Proto-Malayic *aba-h, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *aba-h, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *aba-h, from , from *aba, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *aba, from Proto-Austronesian *aba.

Alternative forms

• abah
• aba
• bah
• ابه
• اب

Noun

به (Rumi spelling bah)

1. Alternative form of ابه

Etymology 3

Shortened form of بابه, from بابا, variant of باڤ.

Alternative forms

• bapa
• baba
• babah
• bah
• bapanda
• bapai
• bapak
• bapang
• papa
• باڤ
• بابا
• بابه
• باڤندا
• باڤاي
• باڤق
• باڤڠ
• ڤاڤ

Noun

به (Rumi spelling bah)

1. Alternative form of bapa

Etymology 4

Abbreviation of بهاس, from Sanskrit भाषा (bhāṣā, “language”).

Alternative forms

• bahasa
• بهاس
• bahasa

Noun

به (Rumi spelling bah)

1. Abbreviation of بهاس.

Etymology 5

Shortened form of باوه, from Proto-Malayic *babah, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *babah, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan *babah, from , from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaq, from Proto-Austronesian *babaq.

Alternative forms

• bawah
• bah
• باوه

Preposition

به (Rumi spelling bah)

1. Alternative form of باوه

---

Pashto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba/

Particle

به • (ba)

1. will (indicating future action)

---

Persian

Etymology 1

From Middle Persian 𐭯𐭥𐭭 (pʿn) / PWN (pad, “to, at, in, on”), from Old Persian 𐎱𐎫𐎡𐎹 (patiy), from Proto-Iranian *pati-.

Pronunciation

audio:

(file)

Preposition

Dari	به
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ба

1. expresses the indirect object: to; for
2. expresses movement to a place: to; towards; into

References

• MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) “pad”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 62

Etymology 2

Dari	به
Iranian Persian
Tajik	беҳ

From Middle Persian [script needed] (byh /⁠bēh⁠/, “quince”).

Alternative forms

• بهی (behi)
• بی (beyy) (in Isfahani dialect)

Noun

به • (beh)

1. quince

References

• MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) “bēh”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 18

Etymology 3

From Middle Persian [Term?] ŠPYL / wyh (weh, “better, good”), from Old Persian 𐎺𐎢 (vahu, “good”). Related to Old Armenian վեհ (veh, “sublime”), an Iranian borrowing. However it from *h₁wésus (“good”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beh/

Adjective

Dari	به
Iranian Persian
Tajik	беҳ

به • (beh)

1. (archaic) good, excellent
2. (archaic) better
3. (archaic) elegant
4. (archaic) safe, sound

Synonyms

• (good): خوب (xub)
• (better): بهتر (behtar)

Derived terms

• بهینه (behine)
• بهتر (behtar)
• بهدین (behdin)
• به‌آفرید (behâfarid)

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “به”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul
• MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) “weh”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 89