Bengali Gender
Welcome to the fifth Bengali lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Bengali to help you practice your daily phrases. To hear the pronunciation, just click on the sound icon.
man  পুরুষ [puruṣa] | woman মহিলা [mahilā] | husband স্বামী [sbāmī] | wife স্ত্রী [strī] |
boy বালক [bālaka] | girl বালিকা [bālikā] | father বাবা [bābā] | mother মা [mā] |
Gender Grammar Rules
In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.
| Grammar + Rules | Bengali + Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| my son is a student [masculine + noun] | আমার ছেলে ছাত্র [āmāra chēlē chātra] |
| her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] | তার মেয়ে ছাত্রী [tāra mēẏē chātrī] |
| he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] | তার একটি দীর্ঘাঙ্গ ভাই আছে [tāra ēkaṭi dīrghāṅga bhā'i āchē] |
| she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] | তার একটি দীর্ঘাঙ্গী বোন আছে [tāra ēkaṭi dīrghāṅgī bōna āchē] |
| his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] | তার ভাইরা অল্পবয়স্ক [tāra bhā'irā alpabaẏaska] |
| his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] | তার বোনেরা অল্পবয়স্কা [tāra bōnērā alpabaẏaskā] |
The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.
son পুত্র [putra] | daughter কন্যা [kan'yā] | brother ভাই [bhā'i] | sister বোন [bōna] |
grandfather দাদু [dādu] | grandmother ঠাকুমা [ṭhākumā] | child শিশু [śiśu] | children শিশুরা [śiśurā] |
Expressions in Bengali
Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Bengali, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.
| English | Bengali | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What do you mean? | আপনি কি বলতে চান? | [āpani ki balatē cāna?] |
| I don't understand | আমি বুঝলাম না! | [āmi bujhalāma nā!] |
| I don't know | আমি জানি না! | [āmi jāni nā!] |
| What is that called in Bengali? | বাংলায় ওটা(কে) কি বলা হয়? | [bānlāẏa ōṭā (kē) ki balā haẏa?] |
| What is this? | এটা কি? | [ēṭā ki?] |
| What does that word mean in English? | ইংরেজীতে এই শব্দটার মানে কি? | [inrējītē ē'i śabdaṭāra mānē ki?] |
| Sorry (if you made a mistake) | দু:খিত | [du: khita] |
I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Bengali. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Bengali Numbers |
Inspirational Quote: High achievement always takes place in a framework of high expectation. Jack Kinder |