बड़ा भाई
bada bhai/bə.ɽɑː bʱɑː.iː/word by word
The Hindi phrase for elder brother is बड़ा भाई (bada bhai).
The phrase is used to refer to a brother who is older than the speaker. To show respect when addressing someone, you can also use the polite term भाई साहब, which is common in many social contexts when addressing an older male or an elder brother.
Which one should you use?
While बड़ा भाई is the literal term for an elder brother, छोटा भाई is used to mean a younger brother.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is bada bhai. The word has 3 syllables. The IPA is /bə.ɽɑː bʱɑː.iː/.
Did you know?
- While बड़ा भाई describes the relationship, it is considered impolite in many traditional households to call an elder brother by his first name without adding a respectful title.
- In some Indian cultures, the role of the बड़ा भाई traditionally involves acting as a second father and primary guardian for the younger siblings.
- The word बड़ा comes from the Sanskrit vṛddha, which literally means 'grown' or 'increased'.
Examples in context
- मेरा बड़ा भाई डॉक्टर है।merā baṛā bhāī doctar hai.My elder brother is a doctor.
- क्या आपका बड़ा भाई घर पर है?kyā āpkā baṛā bhāī ghar par hai?Is your elder brother at home?
- वह मेरा बड़ा भाई है।vah merā baṛā bhāī hai.He is my elder brother.
Example conversation
Priya and Aditya are discussing their families at a cafe.
- प्रिया Priyaआदित्य, क्या तुम्हारा कोई बड़ा भाई है?āditya, kyā tumhārā koī baṛā bhāī hai?Aditya, do you have an elder brother?
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, मेरा एक बड़ा भाई है।hā̃, merā ek baṛā bhāī hai.Yes, I have one elder brother.
- प्रिया Priyaवह कहाँ रहता है?vah kahā̃ rahtā hai?Where does he live?
- आदित्य Adityaवह दिल्ली में रहता है।vah dillī mẽ rahtā hai.He lives in Delhi.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (बड़ा, भाई) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries बड़ा, भाई, CC BY-SA 4.0.
