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Etymology[edit]Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇𑀅 (bhāia) (see also 𑀪𑀸𑀇 (bhāi), 𑀪𑀸𑀉 (bhāu), 𑀪𑀸𑀆 (bhāā)), from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrā́tṛ) + Middle Indo-Aryan -𑀓- (-ka-), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr (“brother”). Cognate with Punjabi ਭਰਾ (bharā) / بھرا (bharā), Sindhi भाऊ / ڀاءُ (bhāū), Gujarati ભાઈ (bhāī), Marathi भाऊ (bhāū), Bengali ভাই (bhai), Persian برادر (barâdar), Ancient Greek φράτηρ (phrátēr), Latin frāter, Old Norse bróðir and Old English brōþor (English brother).
Pronunciation[edit] (Delhi) IPA(key): /bʱɑː.iː/, [bʱäː.iː] Noun[edit]भाई • (bhāī) m (female equivalent बहन, Urdu spelling بھائی)
brother Synonyms: (formal) भ्रातृ (bhrātŕ), (formal) भ्राता (bhrātā), भाऊ (bhāū), भैया (bhaiyā), बिरादर (birādar) मेरा छोटा भाई बहुत मासूम है।merā choṭā bhāī bahut māsūm hai.My younger brother is very naïve. (informal, vocative) used to refer to any male person भाई-साहब ― bhāī-sāhab ― sir, mister (informal, vocative) dude, friend, bro Synonym: यार (yār) Declension[edit] Declension of भाई (masc ind ī-stem) singular plural direct भाईbhāī भाईbhāī oblique भाईbhāī भाइयोंbhāiyõ vocative भाईbhāī भाइयोbhāiyo Related terms[edit] भैया (bhaiyā) References[edit] McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), “भाई”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “bhrāˊtr̥”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press Bahri, Hardev (1989), “भाई”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons. Platts, John T. (1884), “भाई”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co. Caturvedi, Mahendra; Bhola Nath Tiwari (1970), “भाई”, in A practical Hindi-English dictionary, Delhi: National Publishing House Dāsa, Śyāmasundara (1965–1975), “भाई”, in Hindī Śabdasāgara [lit. “Sea of Hindi words”] (in Hindi), Kashi [Varanasi]: Nagari Pracarini Sabha Marwari[edit] Etymology[edit]Inherited from Old Gujarati भाई (bhāī), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇 (bhāi), from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrā́tṛ), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr (“brother”).
Noun[edit]भाई (bhāī) m
brother Further reading[edit] “भाई”, in Marwari Dictionary, SIL International, 2015 “भाई”, in राजस्थानी सबदकोस [rājasthānī sabadkos], charans.org, 2025 Lalas, Sitaram (2013), “भाई”, in राजस्थानी सबद कोस: राजस्थानी-हिन्दी वृहद् कोश [rājasthānī sabad kos: rājasthānī-hindī vŕhad koś] (in Hindi), 2nd edition, Jodhpur: चौपासनी शिक्षा समिती [caupāsnī śikṣā samitī]. Old Gujarati[edit] Etymology[edit]From Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀪𑀸𑀇 (bhāi), 𑀪𑀸𑀉 (bhāu), 𑀪𑀸𑀆 (bhāā), from Sanskrit भ्रातृ (bhrā́tṛ), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰráHtā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr (“brother”).
Noun[edit]भाई • (bhāī) m
brother Descendants[edit] Gujarati: ભાઈ (bhāī)