ছেলে
chele/t͡ʃʰele/
The Bengali word for son is ছেলে (chele). Wiktionary also lists পুত্র (putro) and ওলদ (ōlod).
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Bengali | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ছেলে | chele | /t͡ʃʰele/ /tɕʰele/ |
| পুত্র | putro | /put̪ɾo/ /put̪ɹo/ |
| ওলদ | ōlod | /olod̪/ |
| বেটা | beṭa | /bæʈa/ /bæta/ |
| ছাবাল | chabal | |
| ছাওয়াল | chaōẇal | /t͡ʃʰao̯al/ /tɕʰao̯al/ |
| পোলা | pōla | /polɑ/ |
| পো | pō | |
| পোয়া | pōẇa |
The term ছেলে is the standard way to refer to a male person in relation to his parents, though it can also mean 'boy' depending on the context. The term ছাবাল is used pejoratively to describe a son or boy who is considered useless or a troublemaker.
Which one should you use?
While ছেলে is the everyday standard, পুত্র is a formal or literary term. ছেলে can refer to both a 'son' and a 'boy'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
পুত্র is the formal or literary choice. ছেলে is the common, everyday word. বেটা is an informal way to refer to a son or a young man, but can sound rude or overly familiar depending on the tone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
পোলা is a dialectal variation often used in certain regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal.
How do you pronounce it?
chele (/tʃʰele/)
Did you know?
- The common word ছেলে shares a history with the English word 'kid' because it originally referred to a young goat.
Examples in context
- আপনার ছেলে কি করে?What does your son do?This sentence shows how to ask about a person's occupation using ছেলে.Tatoeba #3043664 by tanay, translation #274383 by CK
- যেমন বাপ, তেমন ছেলে।Like father, like son.This sentence demonstrates a common proverb using ছেলে.Tatoeba #3084895 by tanay, translation #2345 by brauliobezerra
- আমার ছেলে অর্থনীতি পড়ছে।My son is studying economics.This sentence shows how to talk about a son's studies using ছেলে.Tatoeba #5629545 by tanay, translation #1112796 by CM
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tania and Rahul are talking about family photos.
- তানিয়া Taniaআপনার ছেলে কি এখানে?Apnar chhele ki ekhane?Is your son here?
- রাহুল Rahulহ্যাঁ, আমার ছেলে পাশে দাঁড়িয়ে আছে।Hyan, amar chhele pashe dariye ache.Yes, my son is standing next to me.
- তানিয়া Taniaওর নাম কি?Or nam ki?What is his name?
- রাহুল Rahulওর নাম আরিয়ান।Or nam Aryan.His name is Aryan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries ছেলে, পুত্র, ওলদ, বেটা, ছাওয়াল, পোলা, পো, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ওলদ, ছেলে, পুত্র, বেটা, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
