بَہَن
bahanfeminine
The English word 'sister' is translated into Urdu as بَہَن (bahan). Wiktionary also lists بَہِن (bahin) and اُخْت (uxt).
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بَہَن | bahan | feminine |
| بَہِن | bahin | feminine |
| اُخْت | uxt | feminine |
| ہَمشِیرَہ | hamśīra | feminine |
The term refers to a woman or girl sharing the same parents.
Which one should you use?
اُخْت is more formal and is often used in literature or formal speech compared to the more common بَہَن. ہَمشِیرَہ is a highly formal, literary term for sister, often used in poetry or very high-register prose.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بَہَن can be used to address both elder and younger sisters in a respectful manner. اُخْت is more formal and is often used in literature or formal speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form بَہِن is a common phonetic variation of بَہَن used in many spoken dialects and informal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
bahan
Did you know?
- The word ہَمشِیرَہ is derived from Persian, where the prefix ہَم means 'same' and شِیر means 'milk'.
- While بَہَن refers to a biological sister, it is also used as a term of respect and endearment to address any woman, even a complete stranger, in a polite social context.
- The formal term اُخْت is borrowed from Arabic, whereas the common term بَہَن comes from an older Indo-Aryan root.
Examples in context
- وہ میری بَہَن ہے۔Woh meri bahan hai.She is my sister.
- میری بَہَن بہت ذہین ہے۔Meri bahan bohat zaheen hai.My sister is very intelligent.
Example conversation
Omar is asking Aisha about her family.
- عمر Omarکیا آپ کی کوئی بَہَن ہے؟Kya aap ki koi bahan hai?Do you have a sister?
- عائشہ Ayeshaجی ہاں، میری ایک چھوٹی بَہَن ہے۔Ji han, meri ek chhoti bahan hai.Yes, I have one younger sister.
- عمر Omarوہ کیا کرتی ہے؟Woh kya karti hai?What does she do?
- عائشہ Ayeshaوہ ابھی اسکول میں پڑھتی ہے۔Woh abhi school mein parhti hai.She is still studying in school.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
