بڑا
baṛā/bə.ɽɑː/
The Urdu word for big is بڑا, romanized as baṛā.
بڑا describes physical size, and it is also used for seniority, so it can also describe an elder brother or an older person.
Meaning: of a great size (adj)
Which one should you use?
وسیع is a more formal word used for wide and spacious things.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بڑا is the common word in both India and Pakistan.
How does it change in a sentence?
بڑا is the masculine singular form. It changes to بڑے for masculine plural nouns or to show respect to one person, and to بڑی for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /bə.ɽɑː/ in two syllables. The middle sound is a retroflex flap, made by flicking the tongue tip back against the roof of the mouth.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use بڑا with a feminine noun. Change it to بڑی.
Did you know?
- The word بڑا can act as a shortcut for 'very', such as in the phrase 'baṛā achā' meaning 'very good', rather than describing physical volume.
- The word بڑا is derived from the Sanskrit word vṛddha, which originally meant 'grown' or 'aged' rather than just 'large' in size.
- Calling a colleague بڑا in a professional setting refers to their rank or experience, even if that person is chronologically younger than the speaker.
Examples in context
- یہ بہت بڑا ہے۔This is too big.Here بڑا describes something that is too big.Tatoeba #1487998 by nabeel_tahir, translation #55535 by CK
- بَڑے لوگ بَڑے خوابBig people big dreamsبَڑے appears twice here in its plural form.
- بَڑا شَہْرBig cityThis short phrase puts بَڑا before the noun for city.
- ایک بڑی کتابA big book
- ایک بڑا شہرA big city
- ایک بڑا خیالA big idea
- ایک وسیع میدانA big field
- ایک وسیع کمرہA big room
- ایک وسیع جگہA big place
- ایک بڑی کریکٹ ٹیمA big cricket team
- ایک بڑی فلمA big movie
Example conversation
Aisha and Ali are looking at a house for sale.
- عائشہ Ayeshaیہ گھر بہت بڑا ہے۔Yeh ghar bohat bada hai.This house is very big.
- علی Aliہاں، کمرے بھی بہت بڑے ہیں۔Haan, kamre bhi bohat bade hain.Yes, the rooms are also very big.
- عائشہ Ayeshaکیا ہمیں اتنا بڑا گھر چاہیے؟Kya hamein itna bada ghar chahiye?Do we need such a big house?
- علی Aliہاں، مہمانوں کے لیے جگہ ہوگی۔Haan, mehmanon ke liye jagah hogi.Yes, there will be space for guests.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “big” translations and entries بڑا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بڑا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
