بڑا بھائی
baṛā bhāī/bə.ɽɑː bʱɑː.iː/word by word
The English phrase "older brother" is translated into Urdu as بڑا بھائی (baṛā bhāī).
In Urdu, the adjective for "big" is used to denote seniority in age within a sibling relationship to mean "older brother".
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase بڑا بھائی is composed of baṛā, meaning "big" or "large" and bhāī, meaning "brother".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is baṛā bhāī. It has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word بھائی is a distant relative of the English word 'brother', as both can be traced back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- The term بھائی is sometimes used ironically or as a slang term to refer to a local 'strongman' or gang leader in certain urban contexts.
- In many Urdu speaking cultures, it is considered disrespectful to call your بڑا بھائی by his first name, so you address him using the title itself or a term of respect.
Examples in context
- میرا بڑا بھائی ڈاکٹر ہے۔Mera bada bhai doctor hai.My older brother is a doctor.
- وہ میرا بڑا بھائی ہے۔Woh mera bada bhai hai.He is my older brother.
- میرا بڑا بھائی بہت مہربان ہے۔Mera bada bhai bohat meharban hai.My older brother is very kind.
Example conversation
Sara is asking Ahmed about his family members.
- سارہ Saraکیا آپ کا کوئی بڑا بھائی ہے؟Kya aap ka koi bada bhai hai?Do you have an older brother?
- احمد Ahmedجی ہاں، میرا ایک بڑا بھائی ہے۔Ji haan, mera ek bada bhai hai.Yes, I have one older brother.
- سارہ Saraآپ کا بڑا بھائی کہاں رہتا ہے؟Aap ka bada bhai kahan rehta hai?Where does your older brother live?
- احمد Ahmedمیرا بڑا بھائی لاہور میں رہتا ہے۔Mera bada bhai Lahore mein rehta hai.My older brother lives in Lahore.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (بڑا, بھائی) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries بڑا, بھائی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
