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 (Urdu spelling بھائی‎)

1. brother

   मेरा छोटा भाई बहुत मासूम है।

   merā choṭā bhāī bahut māsūm hai.

   My younger brother is very naïve.

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

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)