باورچی
bāvarcī/bɑː.ʋəɾ.t͡ʃiː/
The Urdu word for cook is باورچی (bāvarcī).
In Urdu, it is important to distinguish between the person who cooks and the act of cooking. While باورچی refers to the person, the verb to express the action of preparing food is پکانا.
Meaning: to prepare food for eating (verb)
Which one should you use?
There are several ways to refer to a person who prepares food depending on the context. باورچی is the common term, but طَبّاخ is used in more formal or professional settings. For a more poetic or literary tone, you can use آش پَز, which literally means one who prepares food or porridge.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced bāvarcī (/bɑː.ʋəɾ.tʃiː/). It has three syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use باورچی to mean the action of cooking. It is a noun referring to the person. To express the verb 'to cook', use پکانا instead.
Did you know?
- The word باورچی comes from the Persian word بَاوَرْچِی, which originally referred to a kitchen official in the royal courts.
- While پکانا is the general verb for 'to cook', the root پک also describes something that is 'ripe' or 'mature', linking the process of cooking to the natural ripening of fruit.
- Urdu uses the phrase دم پخت to describe a specific slow-cooking technique, where the pot is sealed with dough to trap the steam.
Example conversation
Ali and Zainab are discussing who will prepare the meal.
- علی Aliزینب، کیا تم باورچی ہو؟Zainab, kya tum bawarchi ho?Zainab, are you a cook?
- زینب Zainabہاں، میں بہت اچھا کھانا بناتی ہوں۔Haan, main bohat achcha khana banati hoon.Yes, I make very good food.
- علی Aliپھر آج تم کھانا پکاؤ۔Phir aaj tum khana pakaao.Then you cook the food today.
- زینب Zainabٹھیک ہے، میں ابھی شروع کرتی ہوں۔Theek hai, main abhi shuru karti hoon.Okay, I will start now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry باورچی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries باورچی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
