माँ-बाप (maan-baap)
noun
A compound noun meaning 'parents' -- literally 'mother-father' (maan + baap). One straightforward sense, always used in the plural.
Sense
1
:
parents (mother and father together)
noun, masculine/feminine Always used as a plural, agreeing with plural verbs even though it names two people jointly rather than a countable set.
Synonyms: माता-पिता (maataa-pitaa, formal), अभिभावक (abhibhaavak, guardians, broader/legal term), पेरेंट्स (perents, colloquial, English loan)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the warm, everyday word you'll hear inside the family -- a mother scolding a child might say तेरे माँ-बाप ने क्या सिखाया है (tere maan-baap ne kyaa sikhaayaa hai, 'what have your parents taught you'). माता-पिता (maataa-pitaa) is what shows up on a school form or in a news report; माँ-बाप (maan-baap) is what shows up at the dinner table.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat it as singular because it looks like one compound word; it must take plural agreement: माँ-बाप आए हैं (maan-baap aae hain, 'the parents have come'), not आया है (aayaa hai). 2) माता-पिता (maataa-pitaa) is the more formal/written equivalent; माँ-बाप (maan-baap) is what you'd actually say at home or among friends.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे माँ-बाप दिल्ली में रहते हैं।
My parents live in Delhi.
(mere maan-baap dillii men rahte hain।)
तेरे माँ-बाप ने क्या सिखाया है तुझे?
What have your parents taught you?
(tere maan-baap ne kyaa sikhaayaa hai tujhe?)
अपने माँ-बाप का ख्याल रखा करो।
Take care of your parents.
(apne maan-baap kaa khyaal rakhaa karo।)
अगर मेरे माँ-बाप यहाँ होते, तो वे बहुत खुश होते।
If my parents were here, they would be very happy.
(agar mere maan-baap yahaan hote, to ve bahut khush hote।)
उसके माँ-बाप बचपन में ही गुज़र गए थे।
His parents had passed away when he was a child.
(uske maan-baap bachpan men hii guzar gae the।)
काश मेरे माँ-बाप मेरी शादी में आ पाते।
I wish my parents could have come to my wedding.
(kaash mere maan-baap merii shaadii men aa paate।)
बच्चों को अपने माँ-बाप का सम्मान करना चाहिए।
Children should respect their parents.
(bachchon ko apne maan-baap kaa sammaan karnaa chaahie।)
माँ-बाप की बात मानना कोई बुरी बात नहीं है।
Listening to your parents isn't a bad thing.
(maan-baap kii baat maannaa koii burii baat nahiin hai।)
उसके माँ-बाप उसकी हर गलती के लिए माफ़ी माँग रहे थे।
His parents were apologizing for his every mistake.
(uske maan-baap uskii har galtii ke lie maafii maang rahe the।)
इस घर में माँ-बाप की मर्ज़ी के बिना कुछ नहीं होता।
In this house, nothing happens without the parents' consent.
(is ghar men maan-baap kii marzii ke binaa kuchh nahiin hotaa।)
बच्चों से माँ-बाप की उम्मीदें कभी कम नहीं होती हैं।
Parents' expectations from their children never lessen.
(bachchon se maan-baap kii ummiiden kabhii kam nahiin hotii hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
माँ-बाप
([[माँ-बाप]])
(sg.m/f.oblique):
माँ-बाप
([[माँ-बाप]])
(pl.m/f.direct):
माँ-बापें
([[माँ-बापें]])
(pl.m/f.oblique):
माँ-बापों
([[माँ-बापों]])