beba
Latin, feminine
The English word "baby" is translated into Bosnian as beba. Wiktionary also lists mališan and detence.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Bosnian | Note |
|---|---|
| beba | Latin, feminine |
| mališan | Latin, masculine |
| detence | Latin, neuter |
| djetence | Latin, neuter |
| novorođenče | Latin, neuter |
| odojče | Latin, neuter |
| dojenče | Latin, neuter |
The term refers to a very young human being.
Which one should you use?
beba is a general and neutral term for a baby. In contrast, novorođenče is a formal term specifically used to refer to a newborn baby. For a more colloquial and affectionate way to refer to a small child or baby, you can use mališan, which translates to "little one" or "little guy".
How does it change in a sentence?
beba is a feminine noun. Its plural form is bebe (babies), and its dative case form is bebi (to the baby).
Did you know?
- The word beba is onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to mimic the actual sounds that babies make.
- While beba is feminine, it is used for both baby boys and baby girls regardless of the child's biological sex.
- If you use the term odojče, you are specifically referring to a baby that is currently being breastfed or is 'suckling'.
Examples in context
- Čestitam vam na predivnoj bebi!Congratulations on your beautiful baby!
- Nova beba je veoma mirna.The new baby is very calm.
Example conversation
Amar and Amra are visiting a friend who just had a child.
- AmarVidi kako je beba mala.Look how small the baby is.
- AmraDa, baš je sitna.Yes, she is really tiny.
- AmarDa li beba često plače?Does the baby cry often?
- AmraVećina vremena je mirna.Most of the time she is calm.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beba, CC BY-SA 4.0.
