भाई (bhaaii)
noun/interjection
Primarily means 'brother,' both literal and as a warm term for male friends or acquaintances; also works as a casual address term and interjection of exasperation or emphasis.
Sense
1
:
sibling relation
noun, masculine
Synonyms: भ्राता (bhraataa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most Hindi-speaking families, cousins are routinely called भाई (bhaaii) too -- the English distinction between 'brother' and 'cousin' is much less sharply drawn in everyday speech, and people often need to add सगा भाई (sagaa bhaaii) if they want to specify a real, blood brother.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes forget भाई (bhaaii) itself never inflects for number/gender in the singular/plural distinction the way some nouns do -- 'brothers' needs the full plural marking covered in the morphology table, not a separate word.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा भाई दिल्ली में रहता है।
My brother lives in Delhi.
(meraa bhaaii dillii men rahtaa hai।)
क्या वह तुम्हारा सगा भाई है या चचेरा?
Is he your real brother or your cousin?
(kyaa vah tumhaaraa sagaa bhaaii hai yaa chacheraa?)
उसका भाई कल शादी में आया था।
His brother had come to the wedding yesterday.
(uskaa bhaaii kal shaadii men aayaa thaa।)
मेरे दो भाई हैं और एक बहन है।
I have two brothers and one sister.
(mere do bhaaii hain aur ek bahan hai।)
अगर मेरा कोई भाई होता, तो जिंदगी थोड़ी आसान होती।
If I had a brother, life would have been a little easier.
(agar meraa koii bhaaii hotaa, to jindgii thodii aasaan hotii।)
काश मेरा भाई इस वक्त यहाँ होता।
I wish my brother were here right now.
(kaash meraa bhaaii is vakt yahaan hotaa।)
अपने भाई का ख्याल रखना।
Take care of your brother.
(apne bhaaii kaa khyaal rakhnaa।)
राखी पर बहनें अपने भाइयों की कलाई पर धागा बाँधती हैं।
On Rakhi, sisters tie a thread on their brothers' wrists.
(raakhii par bahnen apne bhaaiyon kii kalaaii par dhaagaa baandhtii hain।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि मेरा भाई परीक्षा में पास हो जाए।
I hope that my brother passes the exam.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki meraa bhaaii pariikshaa men paas ho jaae।)
संपत्ति भाइयों के बीच बराबर बाँटी गई।
The property was divided equally among the brothers.
(sampatti bhaaiyon ke biich baraabar baantii gaii।)
उसका भाई विदेश में पढ़ाई कर रहा है।
His brother is studying abroad.
(uskaa bhaaii videsh men padhaaii kar rahaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
friendly term of address for a man
noun, masculine Used vocatively to address or refer to a man one is not related to, signaling warmth or casual familiarity.
Synonyms: यार (yaar, colloquial), दोस्त (dost)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Call out भाई साहब (bhaaii saahab) to a shopkeeper or rickshaw driver in Delhi and you'll get instant, easy attention -- it's respectful without being stiff, striking a register between the too-familiar यार (yaar) and the more distant जी (jii).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often don't realize भाई (bhaaii) is used to address total strangers too -- an auto-rickshaw driver, a shopkeeper, a man on the street -- not just people you know; it is a default polite-but-casual way to get a man's attention.
Sample Sentences:
भाई, ज़रा सुनिए, ये रिक्शा कहाँ जाएगा?
Excuse me, buddy, where does this rickshaw go?
(bhaaii, zaraa sunie, ye rikshaa kahaan jaaegaa?)
भाई साहब, एक किलो टमाटर देना।
Sir, give me a kilo of tomatoes.
(bhaaii saahab, ek kilo tamaatar denaa।)
अरे भाई, तू यहाँ कैसे आ गया?
Hey buddy, how'd you end up here?
(are bhaaii, too yahaan kaise aa gayaa?)
भाई, अगर टाइम हो तो थोड़ी मदद कर दो।
Buddy, if you have time, help me out a bit.
(bhaaii, agar taaim ho to thodii madad kar do।)
भाई साहब, अगर आपको दिक्कत न हो तो थोड़ा साइड में हो जाइए।
Sir, if it's not a bother, could you move aside a little?
(bhaaii saahab, agar aapko dikkat n ho to thodaa saaid men ho jaaie।)
दुकानदार ने भाई कहकर मुझे अंदर बुलाया।
The shopkeeper called me 'friend' and invited me inside.
(dukaandaar ne bhaaii kahkar mujhe andar bulaayaa।)
अगर वो भाई साहब कहकर बात करता, तो मैं फौरन रुक जाता।
If he had addressed me as 'sir', I would have stopped immediately.
(agar vo bhaaii saahab kahkar baat kartaa, to main phauran ruk jaataa।)
चौराहे पर खड़ा भाई हर आते-जाते को "आइए भाई साहब" कहकर बुलाता है।
The guy standing at the crossing calls out 'come on in, sir' to every passerby.
(chauraahe par khadaa bhaaii har aate-jaate ko "aaie bhaaii saahab" kahkar bulaataa hai।)
गाड़ी वाले भाई को रोककर हमने पता पूछा।
We stopped the driver, buddy, and asked for directions.
(gaadii vaale bhaaii ko rokkar hamne pataa poochhaa।)
रेहड़ी वाले को भाई कहकर बुलाया जाता है, ये यहाँ की आदत है।
The cart vendor is addressed as 'brother-friend' -- that's the custom around here.
(rehdii vaale ko bhaaii kahkar bulaayaa jaataa hai, ye yahaan kii aadat hai।)
भाई साहब, माफ़ कीजिए, थोड़ा रास्ता दे दीजिए।
Sir, excuse me, please make some way.
(bhaaii saahab, maaf kiijie, thodaa raastaa de diijie।)
Sense
3
:
exclamation of exasperation, emphasis, or plea
interjection Stands alone at the start or end of a sentence to add emotional color -- frustration, pleading, or strong emphasis -- rather than referring to any actual brother.
Synonyms: अरे (are)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in Delhi traffic or family arguments -- भाई, क्या कर रहे हो? (bhaaii, kyaa kar rahe ho?, 'man, what are you doing?') -- said with real irritation, no brother in sight.
Common Mistakes: 1) This use has nothing to do with siblinghood, so learners shouldn't try to map it to 'brother' literally in translation -- it functions closer to English 'man' or 'dude' used as a filler of emotion, e.g. भाई, ये मत करो (bhaaii, ye mat karo, 'come on, don't do this').
Sample Sentences:
भाई, क्या कर रहे हो?
Man, what are you doing?
(bhaaii, kyaa kar rahe ho?)
भाई, ज़रा धीरे चलाओ गाड़ी!
Come on, drive a little slower!
(bhaaii, zaraa dhiire chalaao gaadii!)
अरे भाई, इतनी देर क्यों लगा दी तुमने?
Oh man, why did you take so long?
(are bhaaii, itnii der kyon lagaa dii tumne?)
भाई, अगर तुमने फिर देर की तो मैं अकेला निकल जाऊँगा।
Man, if you're late again, I'm leaving alone.
(bhaaii, agar tumne phir der kii to main akelaa nikal jaaoongaa।)
भाई, मुझे माफ़ कर दो, अब और झगड़ा मत करो।
Come on man, forgive me, don't fight anymore.
(bhaaii, mujhe maaf kar do, ab aur jhagdaa mat karo।)
भाई, यह ट्रैफिक तो रोज़ का सिरदर्द हो गया है।
Man, this traffic has become a daily headache.
(bhaaii, yah traiphik to roz kaa sirdard ho gayaa hai।)
भाई, कोई तो इस मीटिंग को जल्दी खत्म करे!
Man, will somebody please end this meeting already!
(bhaaii, koii to is miiting ko jaldii khatm kare!)
भाई, अगर पहले बता देते तो मैं तैयार रहता।
Man, if you'd told me earlier, I would have been ready.
(bhaaii, agar pahle bataa dete to main taiyaar rahtaa।)
भाई, यह लाइन कब खत्म होगी, पता नहीं!
Man, who knows when this line is going to end!
(bhaaii, yah laain kab khatm hogii, pataa nahiin!)
भाई, ऐसे मत बोलो, सब सुन रहे हैं।
Come on man, don't talk like that, everyone's listening.
(bhaaii, aise mat bolo, sab sun rahe hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
भाई
(bhaaii)
(sg.m.oblique):
भाई
(bhaaii)
(pl.m.direct):
भाई
(bhaaii)
(pl.m.oblique):
भाईों
([[भाईों]])