ब्याह (byaah)
noun/verb
A homey, everyday word for 'marriage/wedding' -- basically an alternative to शादी (shaadii) with a slightly more rustic, folk flavor. Also functions as a verb root meaning 'to marry off.'
Sense
1
:
wedding, marriage
noun, masculine
Synonyms: शादी (shaadii), विवाह (vivaah, slightly more formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: ब्याह (byaah) has a warm, folksy ring to it -- you will hear it a lot in Hindi film songs, in the Haryana-UP countryside, and from grandparents, whereas शादी (shaadii) is the more neutral, everyday word you would use in Delhi conversation. Think of it like 'wedding' vs. a more old-fashioned, homespun way of saying the same thing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to शादी (shaadii) in all contexts and never encounter ब्याह (byaah) in speech, then are surprised to hear it in villages, folk songs, or from older relatives -- it is not a rare or literary word, just more common in rural/folk registers than in urban Delhi small talk. 2) The phrase ब्याह करना (byaah karnaa) means 'to get married / to marry someone off,' not 'to do a wedding' in the event-planning sense.
Sample Sentences:
गाँव में इस बार बड़ी धूमधाम से ब्याह होने वाला है।
This time there's going to be a grand wedding in the village.
(gaanv men is baar badii dhoomdhaam se byaah hone vaalaa hai।)
दादी अक्सर अपने ब्याह के किस्से सुनाया करती थीं।
Grandma used to often tell stories about her wedding.
(daadii aksar apne byaah ke kisse sunaayaa kartii thiin।)
उस ज़माने में ब्याह बहुत कम उम्र में हो जाते थे।
In those days weddings used to happen at a very young age.
(us zamaane men byaah bahut kam umr men ho jaate the।)
अगर उसका ब्याह उसी गाँव में होता तो वह इतनी दूर न जाती।
If her wedding had taken place in that same village, she wouldn't have gone so far away.
(agar uskaa byaah usii gaanv men hotaa to vah itnii door n jaatii।)
काश मैं भी उसके ब्याह में शामिल हो पाता।
I wish I too could have attended her wedding.
(kaash main bhii uske byaah men shaamil ho paataa।)
ब्याह की तैयारियाँ पूरे घर में जोरों पर हैं।
Wedding preparations are in full swing throughout the house.
(byaah kii taiyaariyaan poore ghar men joron par hain।)
यह लोकगीत ब्याह के मौके पर औरतें मिलकर गाती हैं।
The womenfolk sing this folk song together on the occasion of a wedding.
(yah lokgiit byaah ke mauke par aurten milkar gaatii hain।)
बरसों पहले जब उसका ब्याह हुआ था, तब पूरा गाँव इकट्ठा हुआ था।
Years ago when her wedding took place, the whole village had gathered.
(barson pahle jab uskaa byaah huaa thaa, tab pooraa gaanv ikatthaa huaa thaa।)
गाने में लड़की अपने ब्याह की रात को याद करके रो पड़ती है।
In the song, the girl bursts into tears remembering the night of her wedding.
(gaane men ladkii apne byaah kii raat ko yaad karke ro padtii hai।)
बेटी का ब्याह रचाना हर माँ-बाप का सपना होता है।
Arranging one's daughter's wedding is every parent's dream.
(betii kaa byaah rachaanaa har maan-baap kaa sapnaa hotaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to marry off, to give in marriage
verb, transitive Used especially in the causative-flavored sense of parents/family marrying off a child, e.g. बेटी का ब्याह करना (betii kaa byaah karnaa, 'to marry off one's daughter').
Synonyms: शादी करना (shaadii karnaa), विवाह करना (vivaah karnaa, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear ब्याहना (byaahnaa)/ब्याह करना (byaah karnaa) most often in the context of parents marrying off their children, especially daughters -- बेटी ब्याहना (betii byaahnaa) carries a strong cultural weight in North Indian family life, tied to ideas of duty and responsibility that go beyond the neutral English 'to marry off.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this only as a noun; it is also a common verb, often paired with करना (karnaa) as ब्याह करना (byaah karnaa), or heard in the passive-ish ब्याहा जाना (byaahaa jaanaa, 'to be married off'), especially of daughters.
Sample Sentences:
उन्होंने अपनी बेटी को बड़े घर में ब्याहा।
They married off their daughter into a well-off family.
(unhonne apnii betii ko bade ghar men byaahaa।)
बाप को हर हाल में अपनी बेटी ब्याहनी ही पड़ती है।
A father has to marry off his daughter no matter what.
(baap ko har haal men apnii betii byaahnii hii padtii hai।)
वे अपने बेटे को भी जल्दी ब्याह देंगे।
They will marry off their son soon too.
(ve apne bete ko bhii jaldii byaah denge।)
अगर पैसे होते तो हम उसे इसी साल ब्याह देते।
If we had the money, we would have married her off this very year.
(agar paise hote to ham use isii saal byaah dete।)
बेटी को ब्याहते वक्त माँ-बाप का दिल भर आता है।
Parents' hearts well up while marrying off their daughter.
(betii ko byaahte vakt maan-baap kaa dil bhar aataa hai।)
गाँव में लोग अपनी लड़कियों को कम उम्र में ही ब्याह देते थे।
In the village, people used to marry off their girls at a young age.
(gaanv men log apnii ladkiyon ko kam umr men hii byaah dete the।)
उसकी बेटी दूर शहर में ब्याही गई है।
His daughter has been married off in a faraway city.
(uskii betii door shahar men byaahii gaii hai।)
काश हम अपनी बेटी को इतनी दूर न ब्याहते।
I wish we hadn't married off our daughter so far away.
(kaash ham apnii betii ko itnii door n byaahte।)
पिताजी, अब समय आ गया है, बिटिया को ब्याह दीजिए।
Father, the time has come now, please marry off your daughter.
(pitaajii, ab samay aa gayaa hai, bitiyaa ko byaah diijie।)
समाज का दबाव था कि बेटी को जल्दी ब्याहा जाए।
There was social pressure that the daughter be married off quickly.
(samaaj kaa dabaav thaa ki betii ko jaldii byaahaa jaae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ब्याह
(byaah)
(sg.m.oblique):
ब्याह
(byaah)
(pl.m.direct):
ब्याह
(byaah)
(pl.m.oblique):
ब्याहों
(byaahon)
Verb
infinitive:
ब्याह
(byaah)
infinitive oblique:
ब्याने
(byaane)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
ब्याता
(byaataa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
ब्याते
(byaate)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
ब्याती
(byaatii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
ब्यातीं
(byaatiin)
continuous (sg.m):
ब्या रहा
(byaa rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
ब्या रहे
(byaa rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
ब्या रही
(byaa rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
ब्या रहीं
(byaa rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
ब्याया
(byaayaa)
perfective (pl.m):
ब्याए
(byaae)
perfective (sg.f):
ब्याई
(byaaii)
perfective (pl.f):
ब्याईं
(byaaiin)
imperative (informal):
ब्या
(byaa)
imperative (neutral):
ब्याओ
(byaao)
imperative (formal):
ब्याइए
(byaaie)
future (1sg.m):
ब्याऊँगा
(byaaoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
ब्याऊँगी
(byaaoongii)
future (1pl.m):
ब्याएँगे
(byaaenge)
future (1pl.f):
ब्याएँगी
(byaaengii)
future (2sg.m):
ब्याएगा
(byaaegaa)
future (2sg.f):
ब्याएगी
(byaaegii)
future (2pl.m):
ब्याओगे
(byaaoge)
future (2pl.f):
ब्याओगी
(byaaogii)
future (3sg.m):
ब्याएगा
(byaaegaa)
future (3sg.f):
ब्याएगी
(byaaegii)
future (3pl.m):
ब्याएँगे
(byaaenge)
future (3pl.f):
ब्याएँगी
(byaaengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
ब्याऊँ
(byaaoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
ब्याएँ
(byaaen)
subjunctive (2sg):
ब्याए
(byaae)
subjunctive (2pl):
ब्याओ
(byaao)
subjunctive (3sg):
ब्याए
(byaae)
subjunctive (3pl):
ब्याएँ
(byaaen)