बचाओ (bachaao)
interjection/verb
The imperative form of बचाना (bachaanaa, 'to save/rescue'); also stands alone as the urgent cry for help, 'Save (me)!' It is far more often heard as a shouted plea than used as a calm command.
Sense
1
:
help! (cry for rescue)
interjection
Synonyms: बचाओ बचाओ (bachaao bachaao, repeated for urgency)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you hear shouted in Hindi films and on the street when someone is drowning, being robbed, or caught in a fire -- often doubled as बचाओ बचाओ (bachaao bachaao) for urgency. It is one of the first 'survival Hindi' words many learners pick up from media even before formal study.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for मदद करो (madad karo, 'help me/do help') when in real danger, but बचाओ (bachaao) is the instinctive cry Hindi speakers actually shout -- मदद (madad) sounds calmer and more like asking for assistance with a task.
Sample Sentences:
बचाओ! बचाओ!
Help! Help!
(bachaao! bachaao!)
कोई तो बचाओ, मैं डूब रहा हूँ!
Someone help, I'm drowning!
(koii to bachaao, main doob rahaa hoon!)
आग लग गई, बचाओ!
There's a fire, help!
(aag lag gaii, bachaao!)
औरत चिल्लाई, "बचाओ, कोई इसे पकड़ो!"
The woman screamed, "Help, someone catch him!"
(aurat chillaaii, "bachaao, koii ise pakdo!")
जब चोर मेरा बैग छीनकर भागा, तो मैं बचाओ बचाओ चिल्लाती रही।
When the thief snatched my bag and ran, I kept screaming, "Help! Help!"
(jab chor meraa baig chhiinkar bhaagaa, to main bachaao bachaao chillaatii rahii।)
बचाओ का शोर सुनकर सब लोग खिड़कियों पर आ गए।
Hearing the cries of "Help!" everyone came to their windows.
(bachaao kaa shor sunkar sab log khidkiyon par aa gae।)
फिल्म के उस सीन में हीरोइन "बचाओ!" चिल्लाती है और हीरो दौड़ता हुआ आता है।
In that scene of the film, the heroine screams "Help!" and the hero comes running.
(philm ke us siin men hiiroin "bachaao!" chillaatii hai aur hiiro daudtaa huaa aataa hai।)
अगर कोई मुसीबत में हो, तो "बचाओ" चिल्लाना ही सबसे पहला काम है।
If someone is in trouble, shouting "help!" is the very first thing to do.
(agar koii musiibat men ho, to "bachaao" chillaanaa hii sabse pahlaa kaam hai।)
बच्ची इतनी डरी हुई थी कि बचाओ भी नहीं बोल पाई।
The little girl was so frightened that she couldn't even say "help."
(bachchii itnii darii huii thii ki bachaao bhii nahiin bol paaii।)
अंधेरी गली से किसी की बचाओ की आवाज़ आई।
A cry of "help!" came from the dark alley.
(andherii galii se kisii kii bachaao kii aavaaz aaii।)
डूबते हुए आदमी की आखिरी आवाज़ बस "बचाओ..." थी।
The drowning man's last cry was just "help..."
(doobte hue aadmii kii aakhirii aavaaz bas "bachaao..." thii।)
Sense
2
:
save, rescue (imperative)
verb, transitive This is the intimate/familiar (तुम) imperative of बचाना (bachaanaa); the polite form addressed to a group or a respected person is बचाओ (bachaao) also for आप in casual command, though आप-forms typically add -इए as in बचाइए (bachaaie) for full politeness.
Synonyms: बचा लो (bachaa lo, softer/compound form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: As a command (rather than a cry), बचाओ (bachaao) shows up in contexts like बचाओ अपने पैसे (bachaao apne paise, 'save your money') -- a parent or advertisement urging thrift. It shares its root with the noun बचत (bachat, 'savings'), a handy link for building vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बचाओ (bachaao) in every polite context, but with strangers or elders बचाइए (bachaaie) is the safer, more respectful choice. 2) बचाओ (bachaao) takes an object with को (ko) when specifying who is being saved, e.g. उसे बचाओ (use bachaao, 'save him'), which learners sometimes drop entirely.
Sample Sentences:
अपने पैसे बचाओ, बेटा, आगे काम आएंगे।
Save your money, son, it will be useful later.
(apne paise bachaao, betaa, aage kaam aaenge।)
बिजली बचाओ, बिल कम आएगा।
Save electricity, the bill will come lower.
(bijlii bachaao, bil kam aaegaa।)
पानी बचाओ, यह हर बूँद कीमती है।
Save water, every drop is precious.
(paanii bachaao, yah har boond kiimtii hai।)
कृपया अपना समय बचाओ और सीधे मुद्दे पर आओ।
Please save your time and get straight to the point.
(kripyaa apnaa samay bachaao aur siidhe mudde par aao।)
थोड़ा बचाओ, वरना महीने के आखिर में दिक्कत होगी।
Save a little, otherwise there will be trouble at the end of the month.
(thodaa bachaao, varnaa mahiine ke aakhir men dikkat hogii।)
अगर तुम चाहो तो हर महीने कुछ बचाओ।
If you want, save something every month.
(agar tum chaaho to har mahiine kuchh bachaao।)
पेड़ बचाओ, धरती बचाओ -- यह नारा हर जगह लिखा है।
Save trees, save the earth -- this slogan is written everywhere.
(ped bachaao, dhartii bachaao -- yah naaraa har jagah likhaa hai।)
कागज़ बचाओ और दोनों तरफ लिखो।
Save paper and write on both sides.
(kaagaz bachaao aur donon taraph likho।)
जितना हो सके ईंधन बचाओ, गाड़ी धीरे चलाओ।
Save as much fuel as you can, drive the car slowly.
(jitnaa ho sake iindhan bachaao, gaadii dhiire chalaao।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बचाओ
(bachaao)
infinitive oblique:
बचाने
(bachaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बचाता
(bachaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बचाते
(bachaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बचाती
(bachaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बचातीं
(bachaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बचा रहा
(bachaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बचा रहे
(bachaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बचा रही
(bachaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बचा रहीं
(bachaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बचाया
(bachaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बचाए
(bachaae)
perfective (sg.f):
बचाई
(bachaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
बचाईं
(bachaaiin)
imperative (informal):
बचा
(bachaa)
imperative (neutral):
बचाओ
(bachaao)
imperative (formal):
बचाइए
(bachaaie)
future (1sg.m):
बचाऊँगा
(bachaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बचाऊँगी
(bachaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बचाएँगे
(bachaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
बचाएँगी
(bachaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
बचाएगा
(bachaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बचाएगी
(bachaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
बचाओगे
(bachaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
बचाओगी
(bachaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
बचाएगा
(bachaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बचाएगी
(bachaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
बचाएँगे
(bachaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
बचाएँगी
(bachaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बचाऊँ
(bachaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बचाएँ
(bachaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बचाए
(bachaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
बचाओ
(bachaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
बचाए
(bachaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
बचाएँ
(bachaaen)