बेटा
beṭā/beː.ʈɑː/
The English phrase "baby boy" can be translated into Hindi as बेटा (beṭā).
While बेटा literally means "son", it is frequently used by elders to address any young boy affectionately.
Meaning: very young male human being (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of बेटा is बेटे when used in certain grammatical contexts, such as with postpositions.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as beː.ʈɑː (beṭā).
When do people say it?
In addition to बेटा, common affectionate nicknames for a baby boy include बिट्टू, गोलू and सोनू.
Did you know?
- The word बेटा can be used ironically or sarcastically by adults when speaking to a younger man who is acting naive.
- The nickname गोलू is derived from the word for 'round', making it a common affectionate term for chubby baby boys.
- The word बेटा is a cognate of the Punjabi word ਬੇਟਾ and the Bengali word বেটা, showing how this term for 'son' or 'boy' has spread across different Indian languages.
Example conversation
Vikas and Anjali are looking at a photograph.
- विकास Vikasदेखो, यह मेरा बेटा है।dekho, yeh mera beta hai.Look, this is my baby boy.
- अंजलि Anjaliवह कितना सुंदर बेटा है!vah kitna sundar beta hai!What a beautiful baby boy!
- विकास Vikasहाँ, वह बहुत नटखट है।haan, vah bahut natkhat hai.Yes, he is very naughty.
- अंजलि Anjaliवह बिल्कुल तुम्हारी तरह दिखता है।vah bilkul tumhari tarah dikhta hai.He looks exactly like you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry बेटा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries बेटा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
