بھائی
bhāī/bʱɑː.iː/masculine
The Urdu word for brother is بھائی (bhāī). Wiktionary also lists بْھراتا (bhrātā).
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بھائی | bhāī | /bʱɑː.iː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| بْھراتا | bhrātā | masculine |
بھائی is used to refer to a male sibling. In many South Asian cultures, it is also used as a friendly or respectful way to address a male peer, even if there is no biological relation.
Which one should you use?
بھائی is the standard, everyday term used in both formal and informal speech. The form بْھراتا is also a masculine way to say brother.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the plural form of brother with postpositions (such as in the phrase 'of brothers'), the word changes to بھائیوں.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of بھائی is bhāī (two syllables).
When do people say it?
Beyond biological siblings, the term بھائی is often used to address male peers as a gesture of friendliness or respect.
Did you know?
- The Urdu word بھائی shares a common ancient ancestor with the English word 'brother'. Both can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European word *bʰréh₂tēr.
- The word بھائی is frequently used by women to address men in public, such as shopkeepers or drivers, to maintain a respectful distance.
- Urdu has a distinct cultural nuance where a younger brother is often expected to refer to an older brother as بھائی while the older brother may address the younger by his name alone.
Examples in context
- میں آپ کے بھائی سے بڑا ہوں۔I am older than your brother.This sentence shows how to use بھائی to describe an age relationship.Tatoeba #4263208 by nabeel_tahir, translation #2750428 by mervert1
- کیوٹو میں میرا بھائی استاد بن گیا۔My brother in Kyoto became a teacher.This sentence uses بھائی to identify a sibling's profession.Tatoeba #1526991 by nabeel_tahir, translation #19327 by CN
- پہلے مجھے لگا کہ وہ آپ کا بھائی ہے۔At first, I thought he was your brother.This sentence uses بھائی to express a previous thought about someone's identity.Tatoeba #1450201 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1449777 by CK
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ali and Zainab are talking about their families at a cafe.
- علی Aliکیا آپ کا بھائی یہاں ہے؟kya aap ka bhai yahan hai?Is your brother here?
- زینب Zainabنہیں، میرا بھائی ابھی اسکول میں ہے۔nahi, mera bhai abhi school mein hai.No, my brother is at school right now.
- علی Aliاچھا، آپ کا بھائی کونسی کلاس میں ہے؟acha, aap ka bhai kaunsi class mein hai?Okay, what class is your brother in?
- زینب Zainabوہ دسویں کلاس میں ہے۔woh dasveen class mein hai.He is in tenth grade.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries بھائی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بھائی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
