बरात (baraat)

noun A wedding procession -- the groom's party that travels to the wedding venue, usually with music, dancing, and fanfare. One core sense, but culturally dense.
Sense 1 : the groom's wedding procession/party
noun, feminine
Synonyms: जनवासा (janvaasaa, rare, refers to the procession's lodging rather than the procession itself), वरयात्रा (varyaatraa, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The बरात (baraat) is the groom arriving at the bride's venue (or a wedding hall) with his family, friends, a band, and often a horse or decorated car, dancing through the streets on the way. This is distinct from the actual wedding rites; the बरात (baraat) is the arrival spectacle, loud and joyous, and 'बराती' (baraatii) is the word for a member of this procession -- a useful related term to know.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes translate बरात (baraat) simply as 'wedding,' but it specifically means the groom's procession/party, not the wedding ceremony itself (शादी shaadii or विवाह vivaah) -- you 'bring' or 'take out' a बरात (baraat), you don't 'have' one the way you have a wedding. 2) The verb commonly paired with it is निकालना (nikaalnaa) or लाना (laanaa) -- बरात निकालना (baraat nikaalnaa, 'to take out the wedding procession') -- not a generic 'do' verb like करना (karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
बरात रात नौ बजे निकलेगी। The wedding procession will set out at nine at night.
(baraat raat nau baje niklegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
बरात में सब नाच रहे थे। Everyone in the wedding procession was dancing.
(baraat men sab naach rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बरात ढोल-नगाड़ों के साथ आती है। The groom's procession comes with drums and music.
(baraat dhol-nagaadon ke saath aatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दुल्हे की बरात घोड़ी पर सजधज कर पहुँची। The groom's wedding procession arrived, all decked out, on a mare.
(dulhe kii baraat ghodii par sajdhaj kar pahunchii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बरात का स्वागत फूलों और ढोल से किया गया। The wedding procession was welcomed with flowers and drums.
(baraat kaa svaagat phoolon aur dhol se kiyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
बरात लेकर जाओ, समय पर पहुँचना है। Take the wedding procession and go, we have to reach on time.
(baraat lekar jaao, samay par pahunchnaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर बारिश न होती तो बरात सड़क पर ही नाचती रहती। If it hadn't rained, the wedding procession would have kept dancing right there on the road.
(agar baarish n hotii to baraat sadak par hii naachtii rahtii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Continuous -- Voice: Active
हो सकता है बरात थोड़ी देर से निकले। It's possible the wedding procession might set out a little late.
(ho saktaa hai baraat thodii der se nikle।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बरात जब गली में पहुँची तो पूरा मोहल्ला बाहर निकल आया। When the wedding procession reached the lane, the whole neighborhood came out.
(baraat jab galii men pahunchii to pooraa mohallaa baahar nikal aayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वर पक्ष की बरात में लगभग दो सौ लोग शामिल थे। Nearly two hundred people were part of the groom's wedding procession.
(var paksh kii baraat men lagbhag do sau log shaamil the।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): बरात (baraat)
(sg.f.oblique): बरात (baraat)
(pl.f.direct): बरातें (baraaten)
(pl.f.oblique): बरातों (baraaton)