बहन

See also: बहना, बहाना, बिहान, बहिन, and बहिनी

Hindi

Alternative forms

• बहिन (bahin)

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀇𑀡𑀻 (bhaïṇī), 𑀪𑀕𑀺𑀡𑀻 (bhagiṇī), from Sanskrit भगिनी (bhaginī).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /beː.ɦeːn/, [beː.ɦẽːn]
• (Eastern Hindi) (Delhi) IPA^(key): /bə.ɦɪn/, [bɐ.ɦɪ̃n]

Noun

बहन • (bahan) f (masculine भाई, Urdu spelling بہن)

1. sister (a female sibling of any age)

   बड़ी बहन ― baṛī bahan ― older sister

   छोटी बहन ― choṭī bahan ― younger sister

   भाई-बहन ― bhāī-bahan ― brothers and sisters

2. female cousin
3. sister (term of address between women)

   बहनो, खाना आ गया है! ― bahno, khānā ā gayā hai! ― Sisters, food has been served!

Declension

Declension of बहन (fem cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	बहन bahan	बहनें bahanẽ
oblique	बहन bahan	बहनों bahanõ
vocative	बहन bahan	बहनो bahano

Derived terms

• बहनचोद (bahancod)
• बहनोई (bahnoī)
• भाई-बहन (bhāī-bahan)

 

References

• Bahri, Hardev (1989) “बहन”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons.
• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “बहन”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “bhaginī”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press