بَچَه
bača
In Dari, the English phrase boy can be expressed through several terms depending on the context. The default form is بَچَه (bača). Wiktionary also lists بَچَّه (bačča) and پِسَر (pesar).
Meaning: male child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Dari | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بَچَه | bača |
| بَچَّه | bačča |
| پِسَر | pesar |
| پُس | pos |
| جَوانَک | javânak |
Which one should you use?
While بَچَه is a neutral term for a child that is often used to mean boy in general contexts, پِسَر specifically refers to a male child or a son. The word پُس is a colloquial, shortened version of پِسَر used to mean boy or son. Finally, جَوانَک is a diminutive or poetic form used to refer to a young man or a youth.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
پِسَر is the formal way to say son or boy, whereas پُس is the colloquial version. بَچَه serves as a neutral term, and جَوانَک is a literary form.
How do you pronounce it?
bača
Did you know?
- In some Afghan contexts, calling an adult man بَچَه can be a way to playfully belittle him or suggest he is acting immaturely.
- The diminutive form جَوانَک is not just for small boys, but is often used in classical Dari poetry to describe a beautiful or idealized youth.
- The word پِسَر shares a common linguistic root with words used in other Indo-Iranian languages to denote offspring, highlighting the deep ancestral links between the term and family structures.
Examples in context
- او یک بَچَه است.u yak bacha ast.He is a boy.
- آن بَچَه بسیار مهربان است.ān bacha bisyār mehrabān ast.That boy is very kind.
Example conversation
Ali and Zainab are looking at a family photo.
- زینب Zaynabاین بَچَه کی است؟In bacha ki ast?Who is this boy?
- علی Aliاو پسر عمویم است.O posar-e amo-im ast.He is my cousin.
- زینب Zaynabبَچَه بسیار شیرین است.Bacha basyar shirin ast.The boy is very sweet.
- علی Aliبله، او خیلی مهربان است.Bale, o khaili mehraban ast.Yes, he is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
