भाभी (bhaabhii)
noun
A kinship term meaning 'brother's wife' (sister-in-law) -- one core sense, but with an extended everyday sense used as a friendly/respectful address for an older married woman in one's social circle.
Sense
1
:
brother's wife, sister-in-law
noun, feminine
Synonyms: भाभी जी (bhaabhii jii, more respectful form)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In a joint or extended Indian family, भाभी (bhaabhii) is often a warm, teasing relationship -- especially between a भाभी (bhaabhii) and her husband's younger siblings (देवर/dewar and ननद/nanad), who may joke and banter with her in a way they wouldn't with an elder. This dynamic (देवर-भाभी, devar-bhaabhii) shows up constantly in TV serials and Bollywood family comedies.
Common Mistakes: 1) English 'sister-in-law' also covers husband's sister and wife's sister, but भाभी (bhaabhii) is specifically the wife of one's brother (or male cousin treated as a brother) -- other relations have their own separate terms. 2) The vocative use ('Bhabhi!') doesn't need the possessive -- you don't usually say मेरी भाभी (merii bhaabhii) when addressing her directly, just भाभी (bhaabhii) or भाभी जी (bhaabhii jii).
Sample Sentences:
मेरी भाभी बहुत अच्छा खाना बनाती हैं।
My sister-in-law cooks very good food.
(merii bhaabhii bahut achchhaa khaanaa banaatii hain।)
भाभी, आज शाम को क्या बना रही हो?
Sister-in-law, what are you cooking this evening?
(bhaabhii, aaj shaam ko kyaa banaa rahii ho?)
देवर हमेशा भाभी को चिढ़ाता रहता है।
The younger brother-in-law is always teasing his sister-in-law.
(devar hameshaa bhaabhii ko chidhaataa rahtaa hai।)
भाभी ने कल मुझे मेरी पसंदीदा मिठाई बनाकर दी।
My sister-in-law made and gave me my favorite sweet yesterday.
(bhaabhii ne kal mujhe merii pasandiidaa mithaaii banaakar dii।)
अगर भाभी घर पर होती तो सब कुछ ठीक हो जाता।
If my sister-in-law had been home, everything would have been fine.
(agar bhaabhii ghar par hotii to sab kuchh thiik ho jaataa।)
भाभी, ज़रा मेरी मदद कर दो न।
Sister-in-law, please help me out, will you?
(bhaabhii, zaraa merii madad kar do n।)
शादी के बाद वह मेरी भाभी बन गई।
After the wedding, she became my sister-in-law.
(shaadii ke baad vah merii bhaabhii ban gaii।)
भाभी शायद इस बार त्योहार पर हमारे साथ रहें।
My sister-in-law might stay with us for the festival this time.
(bhaabhii shaayad is baar tyohaar par hamaare saath rahen।)
देवर-भाभी की नोकझोंक देखकर पूरा घर हंसने लगा।
Seeing the brother-in-law and sister-in-law's playful bickering, the whole house started laughing.
(devar-bhaabhii kii nokjhonk dekhkar pooraa ghar hansne lagaa।)
मेरे बड़े भाई की शादी हो जाने के बाद घर में एक नई भाभी आ गई हैं।
After my elder brother's wedding, a new sister-in-law has come into the house.
(mere bade bhaaii kii shaadii ho jaane ke baad ghar men ek naii bhaabhii aa gaii hain।)
भाभी से हर छोटी-बड़ी बात साझा करना उसकी आदत है।
It is his habit to share every little thing with his sister-in-law.
(bhaabhii se har chhotii-badii baat saajhaa karnaa uskii aadat hai।)
भाभी द्वारा बनाई गई राखी सबसे सुंदर थी।
The rakhi made by my sister-in-law was the prettiest one.
(bhaabhii dvaaraa banaaii gaii raakhii sabse sundar thii।)
Sense
2
:
friendly/respectful term of address for an older married woman (not a blood relative)
noun, feminine Used as a direct address or to refer to a married woman close to the speaker's family or neighborhood, without any actual sibling-in-law relationship.
Synonyms: दीदी (diidii, used for an older woman more generally, not necessarily married), आंटी (aantii, more distancing/formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Calling a neighbor's wife or a close friend's wife भाभी (bhaabhii) instantly signals affection and near-family status -- it's a very common feature of mohalla (neighborhood, mohallaa) life in Delhi-NCR, where social relationships often borrow kinship vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes default to आंटी (aantii) for every older woman, but भाभी (bhaabhii) is warmer and implies more closeness or familiarity, often used for a neighbor's or friend's wife rather than a stranger.
Sample Sentences:
भाभी, आज चाय पीने आ जाइए ना!
Bhabhi, come over for tea today, won't you!
(bhaabhii, aaj chaay piine aa jaaie naa!)
भाभी बहुत अच्छी हैं, पूरे मोहल्ले का हाल पूछती रहती हैं।
Bhabhi is very nice, she keeps asking about everyone in the neighborhood.
(bhaabhii bahut achchhii hain, poore mohalle kaa haal poochhtii rahtii hain।)
भाभी, आपसे एक बात पूछनी थी।
Ma'am, I wanted to ask you something.
(bhaabhii, aapse ek baat poochhnii thii।)
शर्मा जी की पत्नी को सब भाभी कहकर बुलाते हैं।
Everyone calls Sharma ji's wife 'bhabhi.'
(sharmaa jii kii patnii ko sab bhaabhii kahkar bulaate hain।)
भाभी ने कल सबको अपने घर खाने पर बुलाया था।
Bhabhi had invited everyone to her house for dinner yesterday.
(bhaabhii ne kal sabko apne ghar khaane par bulaayaa thaa।)
अगर भाभी नाराज़ न होतीं, तो मैं भी पार्टी में चला जाता।
If bhabhi hadn't been upset, I would have gone to the party too.
(agar bhaabhii naaraaz n hotiin, to main bhii paartii men chalaa jaataa।)
भाभी, आप बहुत परेशान लग रही हैं, सब ठीक है?
Ma'am, you look very worried, is everything okay?
(bhaabhii, aap bahut pareshaan lag rahii hain, sab thiik hai?)
अगर आप बुरा न मानें, भाभी, तो मैं थोड़ी मदद कर दूँ?
If you don't mind, ma'am, may I help out a little?
(agar aap buraa n maanen, bhaabhii, to main thodii madad kar doon?)
भाभी के हाथ की बनी कचौरी की तो पूरी कॉलोनी में तारीफ़ होती है।
Bhabhi's homemade kachori is praised all over the colony.
(bhaabhii ke haath kii banii kachaurii kii to poorii kolonii men taariif hotii hai।)
बगल वाली भाभी हमेशा मुस्कुराकर बात करती हैं।
The bhabhi next door always talks with a smile.
(bagal vaalii bhaabhii hameshaa muskuraakar baat kartii hain।)
भाभी, इतनी तकलीफ़ मत लीजिए, हम खुद बना लेंगे।
Ma'am, please don't go to so much trouble, we'll make it ourselves.
(bhaabhii, itnii takliif mat liijie, ham khud banaa lenge।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
भाभी
(bhaabhii)
(sg.f.oblique):
भाभी
(bhaabhii)
(pl.f.direct):
भाभियाँ
(bhaabhiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
भाभियों
(bhaabhiyon)