ਭਰਾ

Punjabi

Alternative forms

• ਭਾ (bhā) (familiar)
• ਭਾਊ (bhāū) (Majhi)
• ਭਾਈ (bhāī) (as an elevated, non-familial title referring to functionaries, volunteers, etc.)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Punjabi ਭਰਾਉ (bharāu), from Paisaci Prakrit [Term?] (compare 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”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) Phonetic: prā̀ IPA^(key): [pɾäː˩], [pə̆.ɾäː˩]
• Rhymes: -äː˩

Noun

ਭਰਾ • (bhrā) m (Shahmukhi spelling بھرا)

1. brother

Declension

Declension of ਭਰਾ

	singular	plural
direct	ਭਰਾ (bharā)	ਭਰਾ (bharā)
oblique	ਭਰਾ (bharā)	ਭਰਾਵਾਂ (bharāvā̃)
vocative	ਭਰਾਵਾ (bharāvā)	ਭਰਾਵੋ (bharāvo)
ablative	ਭਰਾਵੋਂ (bharāvõ)	—
locative	[Term?]	ਭਰਾਵੇ (bharāve)
instrumental	ਭਰਾਵੀਂ (bharāvī̃)	ਭਰਾਵੇ (bharāve)

References

• “ਭਰਾ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2026
• Singh, Bhai Maya (1895), “ਭਰਾ”, in The Panjabi Dictionary, Lahore: Munshi Gulab Singh and Sons.
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “bhrā́tr̥”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 552