بیٹا
beṭānoun
In Pakistan "son" in Urdu is بیٹا (beṭā). The same word is used as an affectionate way to speak to any young boy or young person, whether or not he is your child. It is also called لڑکا (laṛkā) and نورِ نظر (nūr-e-nazar).
Meaning: male child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Pakistan | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بیٹا | beṭā | noun |
| لڑکا | laṛkā | boy |
| نورِ نظر | nūr-e-nazar | poetic |
Parents say میرا بیٹا (merā beṭā), "my son". Elders also address younger people as بیٹا (beṭā), and for a girl they say بیٹی (beṭī).
Which one should you use?
لڑکا (laṛkā) means "boy", not "son", so میرا لڑکا (merā laṛkā) is a less warm way to say "my boy".
Did you know?
- Calling a younger stranger بیٹا (beṭā) is a sign of kindness in Pakistan, much like "dear" or "young man" in English.
Examples in context
- یہ میرا بیٹا ہے۔yeh merā beṭā hai.This is my son.
- بیٹا، کھانا کھا لو۔beṭā, khānā khā lo.Son, have your meal.
- ان کا ایک بیٹا اور دو بیٹیاں ہیں۔un kā ek beṭā aur do beṭiyāṉ haiṉ.They have one son and two daughters.
Example conversation
An elderly shopkeeper greets a young customer, Zain, in a market in Peshawar.
- Dukandarبیٹا، کیا چاہیے؟beṭā, kyā chāhiye?Son, what do you need?
- Zainانکل، ایک کلو چاول دے دیں۔uncle, ek kilo chāwal de deṉ.Uncle, give me one kilo of rice.
- Dukandarیہ لو بیٹا۔yeh lo beṭā.Here you go, son.
