बेबस (bebas)

adjective A single-sense adjective meaning 'helpless' or 'powerless' -- someone caught in a situation with no way to act or resist.
Sense 1 : helpless, powerless to act
adjective
Synonyms: लाचार (laachaar), मजबूर (majboor), असहाय (asahaay, formal), विवश (vivash, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: बेबस (bebas) shows up constantly in Hindi film dialogue and ghazals to describe a person crushed by fate, poverty, or love -- think of a mother watching her child suffer and being बेबस (bebas) to help. It shares its ब-स root idea with लाचार (laachaar) and मजबूर (majboor), all three circling the same emotional territory of being forced into passivity, but बेबस (bebas) leans most heavily on the imagery of utter powerlessness rather than mere compulsion.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use बेबस (bebas) for simple physical inability (like not being able to lift something heavy); it is really about being trapped by circumstances -- social pressure, poverty, illness, emotion -- with no way out, closer to 'at the mercy of events' than 'physically unable.' 2) It pairs naturally with होना (honaa) or the phrase बेबस होकर (bebas hokar, 'having become helpless') to describe an action taken reluctantly under pressure, a construction learners often miss in favor of a plain adjective + verb sequence.
Sample Sentences:
गरीबी के आगे वह बिल्कुल बेबस था। He was completely helpless in the face of poverty.
(gariibii ke aage vah bilkul bebas thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
माँ बेबस होकर अपने बच्चे को तड़पते देख रही थी। The mother, helpless, was watching her child writhe in pain.
(maan bebas hokar apne bachche ko tadapte dekh rahii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस हालत में मैं बिल्कुल बेबस हूँ, कुछ नहीं कर सकता। In this situation I am completely helpless, I can't do anything.
(is haalat men main bilkul bebas hoon, kuchh nahiin kar saktaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह बेबस न होता तो जरूर उसकी मदद करता। If he weren't helpless, he would surely have helped her.
(agar vah bebas n hotaa to jaroor uskii madad kartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बेबस पिता बस अपने बेटे का चेहरा देखता रहा। The helpless father just kept staring at his son's face.
(bebas pitaa bas apne bete kaa chehraa dekhtaa rahaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या हम हमेशा ऐसे बेबस बने रहेंगे? Will we always remain this helpless?
(kyaa ham hameshaa aise bebas bane rahenge?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
उसकी बेबस आँखों में एक दर्द साफ झलक रहा था। A pain was clearly reflected in her helpless eyes.
(uskii bebas aankhon men ek dard saaph jhalak rahaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश मैं इतना बेबस न होता। I wish I weren't so helpless.
(kaash main itnaa bebas n hotaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बेबस लोगों को इस तरह सड़क पर छोड़ देना गलत है। Leaving helpless people on the street like this is wrong.
(bebas logon ko is tarah sadak par chhod denaa galat hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेबस मरीज़ों को अस्पताल के गेट से लौटा दिया गया। The helpless patients were turned away from the hospital gate.
(bebas mariizon ko asptaal ke get se lautaa diyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
बेबस मत बनो, कुछ तो रास्ता निकालो। Don't be helpless, find some way out.
(bebas mat bano, kuchh to raastaa nikaalo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: बेबस (bebas)