पत्नी
patnīstandard, formal
In Hindi "wife" is पत्नी (patnī) in standard speech and बीवी (bīvī) in everyday talk. It is also called धर्मपत्नी (dharmpatnī).
Meaning: a married woman in relation to her husband (noun)
Ways to say it
| Indian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| पत्नी | patnī | standard, formal |
| धर्मपत्नी | dharmpatnī | formal, respectful |
| बीवी | bīvī | everyday |
पत्नी is the neutral word used in news, forms and polite conversation. बीवी is what people say casually about their own or a friend's wife.
Which one should you use?
धर्मपत्नी (dharmpatnī) is a respectful and somewhat formal word, often heard in speeches and invitations.
How does it change in a sentence?
पत्नी is feminine, so words that describe her agree with it, for example मेरी पत्नी (merī patnī) for "my wife".
Did you know?
- Adding जी (jī) after a name, as in नेहा जी (nehā jī), is a simple way to show respect in Hindi.
Examples in context
- यह मेरी पत्नी है।yah merī patnī hai.This is my wife.
- मेरी बीवी डॉक्टर है।merī bīvī ḍākṭar hai.My wife is a doctor.
Example conversation
Rohit introduces his wife Neha to his colleague Sameer at an office party in Delhi.
- Rohitसमीर, यह मेरी पत्नी नेहा है।samīr, yah merī patnī nehā hai.Sameer, this is my wife Neha.
- Sameerनमस्ते नेहा जी।namaste nehā jī.Hello, Neha.
- Nehaनमस्ते, आपसे मिलकर अच्छा लगा।namaste, āpse milkar acchā lagā.Hello, nice to meet you.
