बकबक (bakbak)
noun/verb
An onomatopoeic word for pointless, nonstop chatter. It appears as a noun (the chatter/nagging itself) and as part of the compound verb बकबक करना (bakbak karnaa, 'to yak on/nag'); both senses share the same flavor of mild irritation.
Sense
1
:
nonstop, pointless chatter or nagging
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बड़बड़ (badbad, mumbling/grumbling), बकवास (bakvaas, nonsense talk)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word every mother or elder brother uses when someone won't stop yapping: 'बस भी करो, कितनी बकबक करते हो!' (bas bhii karo, kitnii bakbak karte ho, 'Enough already, how much you go on!'). It's reduplicated onomatopoeia, like the sound of a mouth just running, similar in spirit to English 'yakety-yak.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often treat बकबक (bakbak) as a verb on its own; it needs करना (karnaa) or a similar light verb to actually 'do' the chattering -- बकबक (bakbak) by itself is just the noun naming the noise. 2) It is mildly negative/annoying in tone, not neutral like 'conversation' -- don't use it to describe a pleasant chat.
Sample Sentences:
बस भी करो, कितनी बकबक करते हो!
Enough already, how much you go on!
(bas bhii karo, kitnii bakbak karte ho!)
उसकी बकबक सुनकर मेरा सिर दर्द करने लगा।
Hearing her endless chatter, my head started to ache.
(uskii bakbak sunkar meraa sir dard karne lagaa।)
इतनी बकबक के बाद भी उसने कोई काम की बात नहीं कही।
Even after all that yakking, he didn't say anything useful.
(itnii bakbak ke baad bhii usne koii kaam kii baat nahiin kahii।)
क्लास में लड़कों की बकबक से टीचर परेशान हो गई।
The teacher got annoyed by the boys' chattering in class.
(klaas men ladkon kii bakbak se tiichar pareshaan ho gaii।)
अगर तुम्हारी बकबक बंद हो जाए तो मैं ठीक से सोच पाऊँ।
If your yakking would just stop, I might be able to think properly.
(agar tumhaarii bakbak band ho jaae to main thiik se soch paaoon।)
काश उसकी बकबक इतनी न होती, तो सब आराम से बैठ पाते।
If only there wasn't so much of her nagging, everyone could have sat comfortably.
(kaash uskii bakbak itnii n hotii, to sab aaraam se baith paate।)
दफ्तर में सहकर्मियों की बकबक से काम पर ध्यान नहीं लगता।
One can't focus on work because of colleagues' constant chatter in the office.
(daphtar men sahkarmiyon kii bakbak se kaam par dhyaan nahiin lagtaa।)
सास की रोज़ की बकबक से बहू तंग आ चुकी थी।
The daughter-in-law had gotten fed up with her mother-in-law's daily nagging.
(saas kii roz kii bakbak se bahoo tang aa chukii thii।)
इस मीटिंग में इतनी बकबक हुई कि असली मुद्दा ही भूल गए।
There was so much pointless chatter in this meeting that we forgot the actual issue.
(is miiting men itnii bakbak huii ki aslii muddaa hii bhool gae।)
उसकी बकबक से तंग आकर मैंने फोन ही काट दिया।
Fed up with his yakking, I just hung up the phone.
(uskii bakbak se tang aakar mainne phon hii kaat diyaa।)
बच्चों की बकबक भरे घर में पढ़ाई करना मुश्किल है।
It's hard to study in a house full of children's chattering.
(bachchon kii bakbak bhare ghar men padhaaii karnaa mushkil hai।)
Sense
2
:
to chatter/nag endlessly (compound verb with करना)
verb, transitive Functions as a compound verb: बकबक (bakbak) + करना (karnaa). ने-marking follows करना (karnaa) normally in past perfective, since करना (karnaa) is the transitive carrier here.
Synonyms: बड़बड़ करना (badbad karnaa, to grumble/mutter), बकवास करना (bakvaas karnaa, to talk nonsense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Kids hear this constantly from parents: 'इतनी बकबक मत करो' (itnii bakbak mat karo, 'Don't chatter so much') is a classic scolding line in Delhi households, said with equal parts exasperation and affection.
Sample Sentences:
इतनी बकबक मत करो, चुपचाप खाना खाओ।
Don't chatter so much, eat your food quietly.
(itnii bakbak mat karo, chupchaap khaanaa khaao।)
वो सुबह से बकबक कर रही है, सिर दर्द हो गया मेरा।
She's been jabbering since morning, I've got a headache now.
(vo subah se bakbak kar rahii hai, sir dard ho gayaa meraa।)
मेरी दादी हर शाम फोन पर घंटों बकबक करती हैं।
My grandmother yaks on the phone for hours every evening.
(merii daadii har shaam phon par ghanton bakbak kartii hain।)
कल पार्टी में उसने इतनी बकबक की कि सब उससे बचने लगे।
He yakked on so much at the party yesterday that everyone started avoiding him.
(kal paartii men usne itnii bakbak kii ki sab usse bachne lage।)
अगर तुम इतनी बकबक न करते, तो मैं ध्यान से पढ़ाई कर पाता।
If you didn't nag on so much, I would've been able to study properly.
(agar tum itnii bakbak n karte, to main dhyaan se padhaaii kar paataa।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि वो मीटिंग में बकबक न करे।
I hope he doesn't jabber on during the meeting.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki vo miiting men bakbak n kare।)
बच्चे इतनी बकबक कर रहे थे कि टीचर को डांटना पड़ा।
The kids were chattering so much that the teacher had to scold them.
(bachche itnii bakbak kar rahe the ki tiichar ko daantnaa padaa।)
क्लास में जब भी टीचर बाहर जाती है, बकबक शुरू हो जाती है।
Whenever the teacher steps out of class, the chattering starts up.
(klaas men jab bhii tiichar baahar jaatii hai, bakbak shuroo ho jaatii hai।)
उसकी बकबक इतनी की जाती है कि सब लोग उसे नज़रअंदाज़ करने लगे हैं।
So much nagging is done by him that everyone has started ignoring him.
(uskii bakbak itnii kii jaatii hai ki sab log use nazraandaaz karne lage hain।)
अरे भाई, थोड़ी देर बकबक बंद कर, मुझे सोचने दे।
Hey man, stop your yammering for a while, let me think.
(are bhaaii, thodii der bakbak band kar, mujhe sochne de।)
पापा बोले, अगर तूने फिर बकबक की, तो टीवी बंद कर दूँगा।
Dad said, if you nag on again, I'll switch off the TV.
(paapaa bole, agar toone phir bakbak kii, to tiivii band kar doongaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
बकबक
(bakbak)
(sg.f.oblique):
बकबक
(bakbak)
(pl.f.direct):
बकबकें
(bakabken)
(pl.f.oblique):
बकबकों
(bakabkon)
Verb
infinitive:
बकबक
(bakbak)
infinitive oblique:
बकबने
(bakabne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बकबता
(bakabtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बकबते
(bakabte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बकबती
(bakabtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बकबतीं
(bakabtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बकब रहा
(bakab rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बकब रहे
(bakab rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बकब रही
(bakab rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बकब रहीं
(bakab rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बकबा
(bakbaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बकबे
(bakbe)
perfective (sg.f):
बकबी
(bakbii)
perfective (pl.f):
बकबीं
(bakbiin)
imperative (informal):
बकब
(bakab)
imperative (neutral):
बकबो
(bakbo)
imperative (formal):
बकबिए
(bakbie)
future (1sg.m):
बकबूँगा
(bakboongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बकबूँगी
(bakboongii)
future (1pl.m):
बकबेंगे
(bakbenge)
future (1pl.f):
बकबेंगी
(bakbengii)
future (2sg.m):
बकबेगा
(bakbegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बकबेगी
(bakbegii)
future (2pl.m):
बकबोगे
(bakboge)
future (2pl.f):
बकबोगी
(bakbogii)
future (3sg.m):
बकबेगा
(bakbegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बकबेगी
(bakbegii)
future (3pl.m):
बकबेंगे
(bakbenge)
future (3pl.f):
बकबेंगी
(bakbengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बकबूँ
(bakboon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बकबें
(bakben)
subjunctive (2sg):
बकबे
(bakbe)
subjunctive (2pl):
बकबो
(bakbo)
subjunctive (3sg):
बकबे
(bakbe)
subjunctive (3pl):
बकबें
(bakben)