ग़ुब्बारा
ġubbārā/ɣʊb.bɑː.ɾɑː/masculine
The Hindi word for "balloon" is ग़ुब्बारा (ġubbārā). Wiktionary also lists बेलून (belūn) and बैलून (bailūn).
Meaning: child’s toy (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ग़ुब्बारा | ġubbārā | /ɣʊb.bɑː.ɾɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) /ɡʊb.bɑː.ɾɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
| बेलून | belūn | masculine | |
| बैलून | bailūn | masculine |
The word refers to a child's toy.
Which one should you use?
ग़ुब्बारा is the standard Hindi word, whereas the English loanwords बेलून and बैलून are more colloquial.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The English loanword बैलून is commonly used in casual, urban speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
ग़ुब्बारा is a masculine noun. Therefore, it will take masculine adjectives and verbs. The plural form of ग़ुब्बारा in the oblique case (used with postpositions) is ग़ुब्बारों.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as /ɣʊb.bɑː.ɾɑː/. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The Hindi word ग़ुब्बारा is borrowed from the Persian word غباره, which originally referred to a cloud of dust or a puff of air.
- Choosing to say बैलून instead of ग़ुब्बारा can act as a subtle social marker, often signaling that the speaker is more comfortable with English or comes from an urban, educated background.
- In local Indian markets, you might hear street vendors use a rhythmic, sing-song chant of the English loanword बेलून to catch the attention of passing children.
Examples in context
- आप को गुब्बारे पसंद हैं?Do you like balloons?
- बच्चे को एक लाल ग़ुब्बारा दो।bacche ko ek laal gubbaara do.Give the child a red balloon.
- ग़ुब्बारा हवा में उड़ गया।gubbaara hava mein ud gaya.The balloon flew into the air.
- क्या आपके पास नीला ग़ुब्बारा है?kya aapke paas neela gubbaara hai?Do you have a blue balloon?
Example conversation
Aditya and Pooja are at a child's birthday party.
- आदित्य Adityaपूजा, देखो कितना बड़ा ग़ुब्बारा है!Pooja, dekho kitna bada gubbaara hai!Pooja, look what a big balloon it is!
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, आदित्य, यह बहुत सुंदर है।Haan, Aditya, yeh bahut sundar hai.Yes, Aditya, it is very beautiful.
- आदित्य Adityaक्या मैं इसे पकड़ सकता हूँ?Kya main ise pakad sakta hoon?Can I hold it?
- पूजा Poojaनहीं, यह फूट जाएगा।Nahin, yeh phoot jaayega.No, it will pop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “balloon” translations and entries ग़ुब्बारा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ग़ुब्बारा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
