फुफेरा भाई (phupheraa bhaaii)
noun
A kinship term meaning 'paternal aunt's son' -- a specific type of cousin, distinguished from other cousin-types in Hindi's kinship system.
Sense
1
:
cousin (son of one's father's sister)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: फुफेरा भाई (phupheraa bhaaii), फुफेरे भाई (phuphere bhaaii, oblique/plural form used before another noun or postposition)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi kinship terms are famously precise: every kind of cousin, uncle, and aunt gets its own word depending on which side of the family and which sibling they descend from. फुफेरा (phupheraa) derives from फूफा (phoophaa), your father's sister's husband (your paternal aunt's husband), showing how these cousin-terms are built directly off the relevant uncle/aunt term. In everyday joint-family life in North India, फुफेरे भाई-बहन (phuphere bhaaii-bahan, 'cousins from the paternal aunt's side') often grow up as close as siblings, especially around festivals like राखी (raakhii) and शादी (shaadii) season when the whole extended family gathers.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners default to English 'cousin' and miss that Hindi has no single word for it -- you must specify which type; फुफेरा भाई (phupheraa bhaaii) is specifically the son of your पापा (paapaa)'s sister, not your माँ (maan)'s sister (that would be मौसेरा भाई (mauseraa bhaaii)) or your पापा's brother's son (चचेरा भाई (chacheraa bhaaii)) or your माँ's brother's son (ममेरा भाई (mameraa bhaaii)). 2) The first part फुफेरा (phupheraa) agrees in gender/number with भाई (bhaaii) -- the female counterpart is फुफेरी बहन (phupherii bahan), not फुफेरा बहन.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा फुफेरा भाई दिल्ली में रहता है।
My cousin (paternal aunt's son) lives in Delhi.
(meraa phupheraa bhaaii dillii men rahtaa hai।)
पिछले साल शादी में मेरा फुफेरा भाई मुझसे बहुत दिनों बाद मिला।
Last year at the wedding, I met my cousin (paternal aunt's son) after a long time.
(pichhle saal shaadii men meraa phupheraa bhaaii mujhse bahut dinon baad milaa।)
राखी पर फुफेरा भाई हमेशा मुझे उपहार देता है।
On Rakhi, my cousin (paternal aunt's son) always gives me a gift.
(raakhii par phupheraa bhaaii hameshaa mujhe upahaar detaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा फुफेरा भाई भी इस शादी में आ रहा है?
Is your cousin (paternal aunt's son) also coming to this wedding?
(kyaa tumhaaraa phupheraa bhaaii bhii is shaadii men aa rahaa hai?)
अगर मेरा फुफेरा भाई यहाँ होता, तो वह हमारी मदद करता।
If my cousin (paternal aunt's son) were here, he would have helped us.
(agar meraa phupheraa bhaaii yahaan hotaa, to vah hamaarii madad kartaa।)
फुफेरे भाई-बहन बचपन में एक ही घर में खेलते थे।
The paternal-aunt-side cousins used to play in the same house during childhood.
(phuphere bhaaii-bahan bachpan men ek hii ghar men khelte the।)
अपने फुफेरे भाई से मिलो, वह भी इस कॉलेज में पढ़ता है।
Meet my cousin (paternal aunt's son) -- he also studies at this college.
(apne phuphere bhaaii se milo, vah bhii is kolej men padhtaa hai।)
शायद मेरा फुफेरा भाई इस बार त्योहार पर आ जाए।
Maybe my cousin (paternal aunt's son) will come for the festival this time.
(shaayad meraa phupheraa bhaaii is baar tyohaar par aa jaae।)
फुफेरे भाई को परिवार की सारी बातें बता दी गई थीं।
The cousin (paternal aunt's son) had been told all the family matters.
(phuphere bhaaii ko parivaar kii saarii baaten bataa dii gaii thiin।)
मेरे फुफेरे भाई ने कल ही नई नौकरी शुरू की है।
My cousin (paternal aunt's son) just started a new job yesterday.
(mere phuphere bhaaii ne kal hii naii naukrii shuroo kii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
फुफेरा भाई
(phupheraa bhaaii)
(sg.m.oblique):
फुफेरा भाई
(phupheraa bhaaii)
(pl.m.direct):
फुफेरा भाई
(phupheraa bhaaii)
(pl.m.oblique):
फुफेरा भाईों
(phupheraa [[भाईों]])