ब्राह्मण (braahman)
noun
Refers to a person of the Brahmin caste/varna, traditionally associated with priesthood and scholarship; a single core meaning with a common extended use as a caste-surname/identity marker.
Sense
1
:
member of the Brahmin caste; priest
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पंडित (pandit, often used for a priest specifically), भूसुर (bhoosur, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi-NCR speech you will hear this word in the context of caste surnames (Sharma, Mishra, Pandey, Tiwari, Dubey are common ब्राह्मण (braahman) surnames), matrimonial ads, and conversations about caste and reservation policy. It sits at the top of the traditional four-fold varna system (ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, शूद्र), and discussing it often brushes up against politically sensitive territory around caste privilege and social justice, so tone and context matter a great deal.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume ब्राह्मण (braahman) always means a practicing priest, but it primarily names the caste/varna; a ब्राह्मण (braahman) can be an engineer, teacher, or politician with no priestly role at all. 2) पंडित (pandit) is not a perfect synonym: it more specifically points to someone who performs rituals or is learned in scripture, while ब्राह्मण (braahman) names the caste identity itself.
Sample Sentences:
उसका परिवार ब्राह्मण है।
His family is Brahmin.
(uskaa parivaar braahman hai।)
शर्मा जी एक कट्टर ब्राह्मण परिवार से आते हैं।
Sharma ji comes from a strict Brahmin family.
(sharmaa jii ek kattar braahman parivaar se aate hain।)
पंडित जी हमारे मोहल्ले के इकलौते ब्राह्मण हैं जो हर घर में पूजा करवाते हैं।
Panditji is the only Brahmin in our neighborhood who conducts pujas in every house.
(pandit jii hamaare mohalle ke iklaute braahman hain jo har ghar men poojaa karvaate hain।)
मंदिर में हवन के लिए एक ब्राह्मण बुलाया गया था।
A Brahmin priest had been called for the havan at the temple.
(mandir men havan ke lie ek braahman bulaayaa gayaa thaa।)
मैट्रिमोनियल विज्ञापन में लिखा था, "ब्राह्मण लड़की चाहिए।"
The matrimonial ad said, "Brahmin girl wanted."
(maitrimoniyal vigyaapan men likhaa thaa, "braahman ladkii chaahie।")
अगर तुम सच में ब्राह्मण होते तो जातिवाद की बात न करते।
If you were truly a Brahmin (in spirit), you wouldn't talk about casteism.
(agar tum sach men braahman hote to jaativaad kii baat n karte।)
कृपया कोई ब्राह्मण पंडित सुझाइए जो सत्यनारायण की कथा करा सके।
Please suggest a Brahmin priest who can perform the Satyanarayan katha.
(kripyaa koii braahman pandit sujhaaie jo satynaaraayan kii kathaa karaa sake।)
प्राचीन भारत में समाज ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य और शूद्र में बँटा हुआ था।
In ancient India, society was divided into Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra.
(praachiin bhaarat men samaaj braahman, kshatriy, vaishy aur shoodr men bantaa huaa thaa।)
कुछ लोग मानते हैं कि आरक्षण की नीति ब्राह्मणों के लिए अनुचित है।
Some people believe that the reservation policy is unfair to Brahmins.
(kuchh log maante hain ki aarakshan kii niiti braahmnon ke lie anuchit hai।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि हर ब्राह्मण जन्म से ही पंडित बन जाता है?
Do you think every Brahmin becomes a priest just by birth?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki har braahman janm se hii pandit ban jaataa hai?)
जाति की बात करते ही उसने कहा, "मैं भी ब्राह्मण हूँ, पर इसमें फ़र्क क्या पड़ता है?"
As soon as caste came up, he said, "I'm a Brahmin too, but what difference does that make?"
(jaati kii baat karte hii usne kahaa, "main bhii braahman hoon, par ismen fark kyaa padtaa hai?")
Sense
2
:
a woman of the Brahmin caste
noun, masculine The feminine form ब्राह्मणी (braahmnii) is the more usual way to specify a Brahmin woman; ब्राह्मण (braahman) itself defaults to the masculine or the generic/collective sense.
Synonyms: ब्राह्मणी (braahmnii)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This sense is included mainly so learners recognize the pattern: ब्राह्मण (braahman) is the base masculine/generic form, and ब्राह्मणी (braahmnii) is the dedicated feminine counterpart, similar to how many caste and community names work in Hindi.
Sample Sentences:
वह एक ब्राह्मणी है।
She is a Brahmin woman.
(vah ek braahmnii hai।)
गाँव की वह बूढ़ी ब्राह्मणी सबको आशीर्वाद देती थी।
That old Brahmin woman of the village used to bless everyone.
(gaanv kii vah boodhii braahmnii sabko aashiirvaad detii thii।)
क्या वह स्त्री ब्राह्मणी है या किसी और जाति की?
Is that woman a Brahmin, or from some other caste?
(kyaa vah strii braahmnii hai yaa kisii aur jaati kii?)
कथा में एक ब्राह्मणी की चर्चा है जिसने राजा को शाप दिया था।
In the story there is mention of a Brahmin woman who had cursed the king.
(kathaa men ek braahmnii kii charchaa hai jisne raajaa ko shaap diyaa thaa।)
पंडितजी की पत्नी को लोग सम्मान से ब्राह्मणी कहकर पुकारते हैं।
People respectfully call the priest's wife 'Brahmani'.
(panditjii kii patnii ko log sammaan se braahmnii kahkar pukaarte hain।)
यदि वह ब्राह्मणी होती, तो शायद यह रीति उससे भी निभाई जाती।
If she were a Brahmin woman, perhaps this custom would have been followed by her too.
(yadi vah braahmnii hotii, to shaayad yah riiti usse bhii nibhaaii jaatii।)
मंदिर में एक ब्राह्मणी पूजा की सामग्री बाँट रही थी।
A Brahmin woman was distributing worship materials at the temple.
(mandir men ek braahmnii poojaa kii saamagrii baant rahii thii।)
ऐसा कहा जाता है कि उस ब्राह्मणी के पास अद्भुत ज्ञान था।
It is said that that Brahmin woman possessed wondrous knowledge.
(aisaa kahaa jaataa hai ki us braahmnii ke paas adbhut gyaan thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ब्राह्मण
(braahman)
(sg.m.oblique):
ब्राह्मण
(braahman)
(pl.m.direct):
ब्राह्मण
(braahman)
(pl.m.oblique):
ब्राह्मणों
(braahmnon)