Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| बॉयफ़्रेंड | bŏyfreṇḍ | /bɔ.jəf.ɾeːɳɖ/ (Hindi, Standard) /bɔ.jəpʰ.ɾeːɳɖ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
| साथी | sāthī | /sɑː.t̪ʰiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| पुरुष मित्र | puruṣ mitra | /pʊ.ɾʊʂ mɪt̪.ɾᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard, word by word) | masculine |
| मित्र | mitra | /mɪt̪.ɾᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) /mɪ.t̪əɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) |
masculine |
| दोस्त | dost | /d̪oːst̪/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
In modern urban India, the English loanword बॉयफ़्रेंड is the most common way to refer to a romantic partner, as traditional Hindi terms for 'boyfriend' can sound overly formal or ambiguous.
What does it mean word for word?
The word साथी (sāthī) literally means 'companion' or 'partner' and can be used to refer to a significant other, though it is more gender-neutral than बॉयफ़्रेंड.
Which one should you use?
While बॉयफ़्रेंड is a direct loanword for a romantic partner, पुरुष मित्र (puruṣ mitra) literally means 'male friend' and is often used in formal contexts to describe a male friend or a male companion without the explicit romantic connotation of the English word 'boyfriend'. Similarly, दोस्त (dost) means 'friend' and, unlike बॉयफ़्रेंड, it does not inherently imply a romantic relationship unless additional context is provided.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms बॉयफ़्रेंड, पुरुष मित्र, मित्र and दोस्त are all masculine. The term साथी is more gender-neutral than बॉयफ़्रेंड.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is bŏyfreṇḍ.
Did you know?
- The Sanskrit root of मित्र (mitra), which forms the basis of 'male friend', is also the name of a solar deity in ancient Vedic texts.
- The word दोस्त (dost) is actually a loanword from Persian and is used across many languages of the Indian subcontinent to mean 'friend'.
- In Bollywood movies, the term साथी (sāthī) is often used in songs to evoke a sense of eternal companionship that transcends a simple dating relationship.
Examples in context
- मेरा बॉयफ़्रेंड रो रहा था।My boyfriend was crying.This sentence uses बॉयफ़्रेंड to describe someone's emotional state.Tatoeba #4078327 by sabretou, translation #1815754 by Spamster
- उसका बॉयफ़्रेंड बेवकूफ़ है।Her boyfriend is an idiot.This sentence uses बॉयफ़्रेंड to make a statement about someone's character.Tatoeba #3796630 by sabretou, translation #860101 by piksea
- मेरा प्रेमी बहुत हैंडसम है।My boyfriend is very handsome.
- उसका प्रेमी एक बहुत अच्छा इंसान है।Her boyfriend is a very nice person.
- आज मेरे बॉयफ्रेंड मेरे साथ फिल्म देखने जा रहा है।Today, my boyfriend is going to watch a movie with me.
- मेरा बॉयफ़्रेंड बहुत अच्छा है।merā boyfarēnd bahut achchā hai.My boyfriend is very nice.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a relationship over coffee.
- राहुल Rahulक्या तुम्हारा बॉयफ़्रेंड अभी आ रहा है?kyā tumhārā boyfarēnd abhī ā rahā hai?Is your boyfriend coming right now?
- पूजा Poojaनहीं, राहुल अभी व्यस्त है।nahī̃, rāhul abhī vyasta hai.No, Rahul is busy right now.
- राहुल Rahulवह बहुत मेहनती लड़का है।vah bahut mehanatī laṛkā hai.He is a very hardworking boy.
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, वह बहुत काम करता है।hā̃, vah bahut kām kartā hai.Yes, he works a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries बॉयफ़्रेंड, साथी, मित्र, दोस्त, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (पुरुष, मित्र) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries पुरुष, बॉयफ़्रेंड, मित्र, साथी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
