بہت
bahut/bə.ɦoːt̪/
In Urdu, "a lot" is translated as بہت, pronounced bahut.
بہت is used to mean "very much" as an adverb, but it is also the standard word for "very" when modifying an adjective.
Meaning: very much (adv)
Which one should you use?
While بہت can function as the adverb "a lot", it also serves as the adjective modifier "very". For more intensity, you can use the phrase بہت زیادہ (bahut zyada), which means "a great deal" or "too much".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using بہت to mean "a lot of" with countable nouns, you will often see it followed by the particle سے (se) to form بہت سے. Additionally, بہت سارے (bahut saare) is a common way to express "a lot of" or "many" specifically when referring to a large quantity of countable items.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is bahut and the IPA is /bə.ɦoːt̪/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word بہت shares an ancient root with the English word 'beaming' and other terms describing thickness or abundance, originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰenǵʰ-.
- When referring to people in a poetic or formal context, Urdu may shift from بہت to more Persian-influenced terms for 'abundance' to sound more sophisticated.
- In colloquial Urdu, بہت is frequently stretched in pronunciation to emphasize the scale of something, acting almost like a musical note to show intensity.
Examples in context
- ابھی بہت سارے کام رہتے ہیں۔There are still a lot of things to do.This sentence shows how to use بہت when discussing a large amount of remaining work.Tatoeba #1445577 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1445423 by CK
- آج دوپہر کو ہمیں بہت سے کام سمیتنے ہیں۔There are a lot of things we have to get to this afternoon.This sentence demonstrates the use of بہت when referring to having many tasks to complete.Tatoeba #10820112 by Roomba_Unit, translation #7587498 by karloelkebekio
- کیا یہ بات سچ ہے کہ موشِ سرمائی بہت سوتا ہے؟Is it true that a woodchuck sleeps a lot?This sentence illustrates using بہت to describe an amount of sleep.Tatoeba #12449567 by Roomba_Unit, translation #12340132 by Miktsoanit
- تمہارے پاس زیادہ وقت ہے؟Do you have a lot of time?
- میرے پاس بہت دوست ہیں۔I have a lot of friends.
- ہمارے پاس کافی وقت ہے۔We have a lot of time.
- وہ بہت فضول میں باتیں کرتی ہے۔She talks a lot unnecessarily.
- میں نے اس میں کروڑوں کام کیے ہوئے ہیں۔I have done millions of tasks in it.
- تم فضول میں بہت باتیں کرتے ہو۔You talk a lot unnecessarily.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Hamza are talking about the weather.
- سارہ Saraحمزہ، کیا آج بہت گرمی ہے؟Hamza, kya aaj bohat garmi hai?Hamza, is it very hot today?
- حمزہ Hamzaجی، آج بہت گرمی ہے۔Ji, aaj bohat garmi hai.Yes, it is very hot today.
- سارہ Saraمجھے بہت پیاس لگی ہے۔mujhe bohat pyaas lagi hai.I am very thirsty.
- حمزہ Hamzaچلو پانی پیتے ہیں۔Chalo paani peetay hain.Let's drink some water.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry بہت, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بہت, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
