बहू (bahoo)
noun
Means 'daughter-in-law', with an extended everyday sense of 'young married woman of the household'. A cornerstone word in Hindi family vocabulary.
Sense
1
:
daughter-in-law
noun, feminine
Synonyms: पुत्रवधू (putravdhoo, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In a joint-family household, बहू (bahoo) is a major social role, not just a kinship label -- the family's सास (saas, 'mother-in-law') and बहू (bahoo) relationship is a classic theme in Hindi TV serials and everyday conversation, often loaded with expectations about how a new bride adjusts to her husband's family.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse बहू (bahoo) with बहन (bahan, 'sister') because of the similar sound -- the words are unrelated in meaning. 2) बहू (bahoo) refers specifically to one's son's wife (or, loosely, a daughter-in-law of the household), not to a daughter-in-law relationship in general the way English 'in-law' can be used loosely.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी बहू बहुत अच्छी है।
My daughter-in-law is very nice.
(merii bahoo bahut achchhii hai।)
सास और बहू का रिश्ता हमेशा आसान नहीं होता।
The relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is not always easy.
(saas aur bahoo kaa rishtaa hameshaa aasaan nahiin hotaa।)
शर्मा जी अपनी बहू को बेटी की तरह मानते हैं।
Mr. Sharma treats his daughter-in-law like a daughter.
(sharmaa jii apnii bahoo ko betii kii tarah maante hain।)
पिछले साल उनकी बहू घर आई थी।
Their daughter-in-law came home last year.
(pichhle saal unkii bahoo ghar aaii thii।)
बहू रसोई में खाना बना रही है।
The daughter-in-law is cooking food in the kitchen.
(bahoo rasoii men khaanaa banaa rahii hai।)
काश मेरी बहू भी उतनी ही समझदार होती जितनी तुम्हारी है।
I wish my daughter-in-law were as sensible as yours is.
(kaash merii bahoo bhii utnii hii samajhdaar hotii jitnii tumhaarii hai।)
अगर बहू समय पर आ जाती, तो सब ठीक रहता।
If the daughter-in-law had arrived on time, everything would have been fine.
(agar bahoo samay par aa jaatii, to sab thiik rahtaa।)
क्या तुम्हारी बहू अगले महीने विदेश जाएगी?
Will your daughter-in-law go abroad next month?
(kyaa tumhaarii bahoo agle mahiine videsh jaaegii?)
बहू, ज़रा चाय बना देना।
Daughter-in-law, please make some tea.
(bahoo, zaraa chaay banaa denaa।)
इस सीरियल में सास अपनी बहू को हमेशा तंग करती है।
In this serial, the mother-in-law always harasses her daughter-in-law.
(is siiriyal men saas apnii bahoo ko hameshaa tang kartii hai।)
उम्मीद है कि नई बहू को यह घर पसंद आए।
It is hoped that the new daughter-in-law will like this house.
(ummiid hai ki naii bahoo ko yah ghar pasand aae।)
Sense
2
:
young married woman (of the household/family), bride
noun, feminine Used by extended family, neighbors, or the community to refer to any young married woman belonging to a household, not necessarily the speaker's own son's wife.
Synonyms: दुल्हन (dulhan, bride specifically), नई बहू (naii bahoo, 'new bride', common set phrase)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Neighbors or relatives might refer to a newly married woman in the colony simply as उनकी बहू (unkii bahoo, 'their daughter-in-law/bride') -- the word extends naturally from the strict kinship term to a broader social label for a young married woman who has joined a family.
Sample Sentences:
मोहल्ले वाले उसे शर्मा जी की बहू कहकर बुलाते हैं।
The neighbors call her Sharma ji's bahu.
(mohalle vaale use sharmaa jii kii bahoo kahkar bulaate hain।)
नई बहू पूरे मोहल्ले में मशहूर हो गई है।
The new young bride has become famous throughout the neighborhood.
(naii bahoo poore mohalle men mashahoor ho gaii hai।)
उनकी बहू बहुत सलीके से रहती है।
Their young wife of the house lives very gracefully.
(unkii bahoo bahut saliike se rahtii hai।)
बहू ने आते ही सबका दिल जीत लिया।
As soon as the young bride arrived, she won everyone's heart.
(bahoo ne aate hii sabkaa dil jiit liyaa।)
काश हमारी गली की बहू भी इतनी मेहनती होती।
If only the young bride from our lane were this hardworking too.
(kaash hamaarii galii kii bahoo bhii itnii mehantii hotii।)
अगर वह बहू न होती तो शादी में इतनी रौनक न होती।
If she weren't the young bride of the family, the wedding wouldn't have had such liveliness.
(agar vah bahoo n hotii to shaadii men itnii raunak n hotii।)
टीवी सीरियल में हर घर की बहू सुंदर और सुशील दिखाई जाती है।
In TV serials, every household's young bride is shown as beautiful and gentle.
(tiivii siiriyal men har ghar kii bahoo sundar aur sushiil dikhaaii jaatii hai।)
पड़ोसन ने कहा, "तुम्हारी बहू तो बड़ी मेहमाननवाज़ है।"
The neighbor woman said, "Your family's young bride is quite hospitable."
(padosan ne kahaa, "tumhaarii bahoo to badii mehmaananvaaz hai।")
बहू बनकर आई है, धीरे-धीरे सब सीख जाएगी।
She has come as the family's young bride; she'll learn everything slowly.
(bahoo bankar aaii hai, dhiire-dhiire sab siikh jaaegii।)
काश कोई उस बहू की भी इतनी तारीफ करता।
If only someone praised that young bride this much too.
(kaash koii us bahoo kii bhii itnii taariiph kartaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
बहू
(bahoo)
(sg.f.oblique):
बहू
(bahoo)
(pl.f.direct):
बहूएँ
(bahooen)
(pl.f.oblique):
बहूओं
(bahooon)