बाल-बच्चे (baal-bachche)

noun A fixed plural compound meaning 'wife and children' or 'family/dependents' collectively -- always used in the plural, never referring to a single child.
Sense 1 : one's wife and children; family/dependents
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: परिवार (parivaar, broader: whole family incl. parents), बीवी-बच्चे (biivii-bachche, colloquial, emphasizes wife specifically)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase carries a distinctly 'family man' flavor -- you'll hear it when someone talks about the burden or joy of responsibility, as in अब तो बाल-बच्चों की जिम्मेदारी है (ab to baal-bachchon kii jimmedaarii hai, 'now I have the responsibility of a wife and kids'). It's warm and slightly old-fashioned, the kind of phrase an uncle at a family gathering might use about himself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use बाल-बच्चे (baal-bachche) to mean just 'children' -- it specifically evokes the whole domestic unit a person is responsible for, typically including a spouse. 2) It is grammatically always plural; there is no meaningful singular form to fall back on.
Sample Sentences:
अब तो बाल-बच्चों की जिम्मेदारी है। Now I have the responsibility of a wife and kids.
(ab to baal-bachchon kii jimmedaarii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शर्मा जी अपने बाल-बच्चों के साथ मेले में आए थे। Sharma ji had come to the fair with his wife and kids.
(sharmaa jii apne baal-bachchon ke saath mele men aae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह अकेला कमाता है और पूरे बाल-बच्चों का पेट पालता है। He earns alone and feeds his whole family.
(vah akelaa kamaataa hai aur poore baal-bachchon kaa pet paaltaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर बाल-बच्चे साथ होते तो यह सफर और मज़ेदार होता। If the wife and kids had been along, this trip would have been more fun.
(agar baal-bachche saath hote to yah saphar aur mazedaar hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बाल-बच्चों का ख्याल रखना, यही तो एक घर के मुखिया की असली जिम्मेदारी है। Taking care of one's wife and kids, that is the real responsibility of a head of household.
(baal-bachchon kaa khyaal rakhnaa, yahii to ek ghar ke mukhiyaa kii aslii jimmedaarii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपने बाल-बच्चों का ख्याल रखना, चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए। Take care of your wife and kids, no matter what happens.
(apne baal-bachchon kaa khyaal rakhnaa, chaahe kuchh bhii ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश उसके बाल-बच्चे उसके साथ इस खुशी के मौके पर होते। I wish his wife and kids had been with him on this happy occasion.
(kaash uske baal-bachche uske saath is khushii ke mauke par hote।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इतनी मेहनत सिर्फ अपने बाल-बच्चों के लिए ही तो करता हूँ। I work this hard only for my wife and kids, after all.
(itnii mehnat sirph apne baal-bachchon ke lie hii to kartaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उम्र के इस पड़ाव में बाल-बच्चों वाले आदमी की सोच ही अलग होती है। At this stage of life, the thinking of a man with a wife and kids is simply different.
(umr ke is padaav men baal-bachchon vaale aadmii kii soch hii alag hotii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct): बाल-बच्चे ([[बाल-बच्चे]])
(sg.m/f.oblique): बाल-बच्चे ([[बाल-बच्चे]])
(pl.m/f.direct): बाल-बच्चेएँ ([[बाल-बच्चेएँ]])
(pl.m/f.oblique): बाल-बच्चेओं ([[बाल-बच्चेओं]])