भई

See also: भाई

Hindi

Etymology

McGregor suggests Sanskrit भगिन् (bhagin, “good, prosperous”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /bʱə.iː/, [bʱɐ.iː]

Noun

भई • (bhaī) m or f by sense (Urdu spelling بھئی)

1. friend, pal

   भई, थोड़ा जल्दी कर। ― bhaī, thoṛā jaldī kar. ― Hurry up pal.

Usage notes

Calling someone भई does not necessarily mean that they are your friend, and can be seen as patronizing in some contexts. It is also used as a general-purpose interjection meaning "hey!".

Declension

NOTE: This term is declined masculine or feminine according to the gender of the referent.

Declension of भई (masc ind ī-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	भई bhaī	भई bhaī
oblique	भई bhaī	भइयों bhaiyõ
vocative	भई bhaī	भइयो bhaiyo

Declension of भई (fem ind ī-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	भई bhaī	भइयाँ bhaiyā̃
oblique	भई bhaī	भइयों bhaiyõ
vocative	भई bhaī	भइयो bhaiyo

References

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “भई”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press