بُوڑھا
būṛhāmasculine
The English phrase "old man" can be translated into Urdu using بُوڑھا (būṛhā). Wiktionary also lists بُڈّھا (buḍḍhā) and پِیر مَرْد (pīr mard).
Meaning: elderly man (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| بُوڑھا | būṛhā | masculine | |
| بُڈّھا | buḍḍhā | masculine | |
| پِیر مَرْد | pīr mard | masculine | |
| شَیخ | śaix | masculine | |
| شیخ | śex | /ʃeːx/ (Standard, Urdu) /ʃɛːx/ (Standard, Urdu) |
masculine |
Which one should you use?
While بُوڑھا literally means old man, it can sound blunt or even disrespectful depending on the tone, similar to calling someone an 'old man' in English. بُڈّھا is a more colloquial, often slightly more derogatory or playful variation of بُوڑھا used in informal speech. شَیخ is a more formal and respectful way to refer to an elderly man, often used in a religious or highly dignified context. پِیر مَرْد is also a masculine form used to refer to an elderly man.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بُوڑھا can sound blunt or even disrespectful depending on the tone. بُڈّھا is a more colloquial, often slightly more derogatory or playful variation.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
būṛhā
Did you know?
- While بُوڑھا means 'old man', the Urdu word for 'old' when describing an object is پرانا ('purāna'). Using بُوڑھا for a thing would imply it has a human-like soul or personality.
- Depending on the region, adding the suffix -جی ('-ji') to a term like بُوڑھا can instantly neutralize its bluntness and turn it into a term of endearment.
- In Urdu poetry, referring to an 'old man' via terms like پِیر مَرْد often serves as a metaphor for wisdom and the attainment of divine truth.
Examples in context
- وہ ایک بُوڑھا آدمی ہے۔woh ek buṛhā ādmī hai.He is an old man.
- بُوڑھا آدمی روڈ پر بیٹھا ہے۔buṛhā ādmī road par baiṭhā hai.The old man is sitting on the road.
- بُوڑھا آدمی بہت طاقتور تھا۔buṛhā ādmī bahut tāqatvār thā.The old man was very strong.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Zainab are walking in a park.
- احمد Ahmedزینب، اس بُوڑھا کو دیکھو۔Zainab, is budha ko dekho.Zainab, look at this old man.
- زینب Zainabوہ کون ہے، احمد؟Woh kaun hai, Ahmed?Who is he, Ahmed?
- احمد Ahmedوہ میرے دادا کے دوست ہیں۔Woh mere dada ke dost hain.He is my grandfather's friend.
- زینب Zainabوہ بہت مہربان لگتے ہیں۔Woh bohat meherban lagte hain.He looks very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old man” translations and entries شیخ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
