بچہ

See also: بچه

Punjabi

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *wet-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *wétos

Proto-Indo-European *-ós

Proto-Indo-Iranian *watsás

Proto-Iranian *wacáh

Classical Persian بَچَّه (bačča)bor.

Punjabi بَچَّہ (baccah)

Borrowed from Classical Persian بَچَّه (bačča), from Proto-Iranian *wacáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *watsás, from Proto-Indo-European *wétos + *-ós.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /bət͡ʃ.t͡ʃäː/, [bɐt͡ʃ.t͡ʃäː]
• Rhymes: -äː

Noun

بَچَّہ • (baccah) m (feminine بَچّی, Gurmukhi spelling ਬੱਚਾ)

1. kid
2. child, boy (of any creature)
3. unborn child; fetus
4. young (of an animal)
5. (figuratively) the result, creation

Declension

Declension of بچہ

	singular	plural
direct	بَچَّہ (baccah)	بَچّے (bacce)
oblique	بَچّے (bacce)	بَچّیاں
vocative	بَچّیا	بَچّیوْ (baccīv)
ablative	بَچّیوْں (baccīvṉ)	–
locative	بَچّے (bacce)	بَچِّیْں (bacciīṉ)
instrumental	بَچّے (bacce)	بَچِّیْں (bacciīṉ)

Adjective

بَچَّہ • (baccah) (feminine بچی, Gurmukhi spelling ਬੱਚਾ)

1. (figuratively, belittling) stupid; kid
2. (figuratively, belittling) unaware, inexperienced
3. (figuratively, belittling) immature

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “بچّہ”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012) “بچہ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “ਬੱਚਾ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian بَچَّه (bačča), from Middle Persian wck' (waččag, “child, baby, cub”), from Proto-Iranian *wacáh (“calf”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *watsás.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /bət̪.t͡ʃɑ(ː)/

Noun

بَچَّہ • (bacca) m (feminine بَچّی (baccī), Hindi spelling बच्चा)

1. baby; kid, child (of any gender)
2. baby boy (of any creature)
3. young (of an animal)
4. (figuratively) the result, creation
5. a sapling, young plant

Declension

Declension of بچہ

	singular	plural
direct	بَچَّہ (baccah)	بَچّے (bacce)
oblique	بَچّے (bacce)	بَچّوں (baccõ)
vocative	بَچّے (bacce)	بَچّو (bacco)

Adjective

بَچَّہ • (bacca) (feminine بَچّی (baccī), Hindi spelling बच्चा)

1. (figuratively, belittling) stupid; kid
2. (figuratively, belittling) unaware, inexperienced

Usage notes

This term can be used to refer to a child or kid generally, or more specifically a male child, however for the latter sense, the term لَڑْکا (laṛkā) is more direct.

Declension

Declension of بچہ

	masculine			feminine
	singular	plural		singular	plural
direct	بَچَہ (baccā)	بَچَے (bacce)		بَچَی (baccī)	بَچَی (baccī)
indirect	بَچَے (bacce)	بَچَے (bacce)		بَچَی (baccī)	بَچَی (baccī)

Further reading

• “بچہ”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “بچہ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “بچہ”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.