Bengaliবাংলা

nomoshkar

Hello (Namaskar)

A respectful greeting with palms together, common among Bengali Hindus.

assalamu alaikum

Hello (Muslim greeting)

The greeting of peace used by Bengali Muslims, especially in Bangladesh.

kemon achhen

How are you?

The polite way to ask how someone is; informally, kemon achho.

bhalo achhi

I am fine

The standard reply to how are you.

shubho shokal

Good morning

A morning greeting, literally auspicious morning.

shubho ratri

Good night

Said before going to bed, literally auspicious night.

biday

Goodbye

A farewell; everyday Bengali often uses achchha or asi then.

abar dekha hobe

See you again

A warm farewell, literally we will see each other again.

dhonnobad

Thank you

The standard expression of gratitude.

shagotom

Welcome

Used to welcome guests or new arrivals.

dukkhito

Sorry

An apology for a mistake or inconvenience.

maf korben

Excuse me

Used to get attention politely or ask forgiveness.

hyan

Yes

An affirmative answer.

na

No; not

A negative answer; also negates verbs.

achchha

Okay; I see

The all-purpose Bengali word for okay, alright, I see.

amar nam

My name is

Used to introduce yourself by name.

khushi holam

Pleased to meet you

Said when meeting someone, literally I became happy.

shubhokamona

Good luck; best wishes

A wish for success, literally auspicious wishes.

ami bujhte parchhi na

I don't understand

A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.

ek

One

The number one.

dui

Two

The number two.

tin

Three

The number three.

char

Four

The number four.

panch

Five

The number five.

chhoy

Six

The number six; Bengal famously has six seasons.

shat

Seven

The number seven.

at

Eight

The number eight.

noy

Nine

The number nine.

dosh

Ten

The number ten.

eksho

Hundred

The number one hundred.

hajar

Thousand

The number one thousand.

aj

Today

The present day.

agamikal

Tomorrow

The day after today; kal alone can mean both tomorrow and yesterday!

gotokal

Yesterday

The day before today.

ekhon

Now

At the present moment.

ghonta

Hour; bell

A period of sixty minutes; also means a bell.

minit

Minute

A period of sixty seconds.

shoptaho

Week

A period of seven days.

bochhor

Year

A period of twelve months; the Bengali year begins with Pohela Boishakh.

poribar

Family

A group of people related by blood or marriage.

ma

Mother

A female parent — perhaps the most beloved Bengali word.

baba

Father

A male parent.

bhai

Brother

A male sibling; also a friendly address for any man.

bon

Sister

A female sibling.

chhele

Son; boy

A male child.

meye

Daughter; girl

A female child.

dadu

Grandfather

A grandfather; in Bangladesh dada is the paternal grandfather.

dida

Grandmother

A grandmother; also thakurma or nani depending on the side.

shami

Husband

The man a woman is married to.

stri

Wife

The woman a man is married to.

shishu

Child

A young person.

bondhu

Friend

A person you know well and like.

purush

Man; male

An adult male person.

mohila

Woman

An adult female person.

shikkhok

Teacher

A person who teaches.

chhatro

Student

A person who studies; a female student is chhatri.

protibeshi

Neighbor

A person who lives next to or near you.

pani

Water

The liquid of life; pani in Bangladesh, jol in West Bengal.

cha

Tea

The beloved drink of Bengal, served at every tea stall.

kofi

Coffee

A drink made from coffee beans.

bhat

Cooked rice

The staple of Bengal; machhe bhate Bangali — fish and rice make a Bengali.

ruti

Bread; roti

Flatbread, eaten especially in the evening.

machh

Fish

Fish — the heart of Bengali cuisine; ilish (hilsa) is the king.

mangsho

Meat

The flesh of animals eaten as food.

murgi

Chicken

A chicken, or chicken meat.

dim

Egg

An egg laid by a hen.

dal

Lentils (dal)

Lentil curry, served with rice at almost every meal.

shobji

Vegetables

Plants grown for food.

fol

Fruit

Sweet plant foods such as mangoes and jackfruit.

am

Mango

The king of fruits; Rajshahi and Malda mangoes are legendary.

dudh

Milk

A white drink produced by cows; the base of Bengali sweets.

rosh

Juice

Fruit juice; date-palm juice is a winter delicacy.

chini

Sugar

A sweet substance added to food and drinks.

lobon

Salt

A white substance used to season food.

nashta

Breakfast; snack

The morning meal, or a light snack.

dupurer khabar

Lunch

The midday meal, literally noon food.

rater khabar

Dinner

The evening meal, literally night food.

bimanbondor

Airport

A place where airplanes take off and land.

biman

Airplane

A flying vehicle with wings and engines.

tren

Train

A connected line of carriages that runs on rails.

steshon

Station

A place where trains stop for passengers.

bas

Bus

A large road vehicle that carries many passengers.

riksha

Rickshaw

The colorful cycle rickshaw; Dhaka is the rickshaw capital of the world.

tyaksi

Taxi

A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.

hotel

Hotel

A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.

restora

Restaurant

A place where you pay to eat meals.

shohor

City

A large town where many people live and work.

gram

Village

A small settlement; the soul of Bengal lives in its villages.

rasta

Road; street

A way for vehicles and people.

pasport

Passport

An official document needed for traveling abroad.

tikit

Ticket

A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.

manchitro

Map

A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.

byank

Bank

A place where people keep and borrow money.

bajar

Market

A place where goods are sold; the daily bajar is a ritual.

soikot

Beach

A sandy shore; Cox's Bazar is the world's longest natural beach.

bhromon

Travel; trip

The act of traveling to a place.

shurjo

Sun

The star that gives Earth light and warmth.

chand

Moon

The bright object in the night sky, beloved in Bengali poetry and lullabies.

tara

Star

A point of light in the night sky; also means they.

akash

Sky

The space above the earth where clouds and stars appear.

shomudro

Sea

The large body of salt water; the Bay of Bengal borders Bengal.

nodi

River

A large stream of water; Bengal is the land of rivers — Padma, Meghna, Jamuna.

pahar

Mountain; hill

A very high hill; the Chittagong Hill Tracts are Bangladesh's highlands.

bon

Forest

A large area covered with trees; the Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest.

gachh

Tree

A tall plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.

phul

Flower

The colorful blossom of a plant; the white shapla is the national flower.

brishti

Rain

Water from the clouds; the monsoon rains define Bengal's seasons and songs.

tushar

Snow

Soft white frozen water; Bengalis travel to Darjeeling to see it.

batash

Wind; air

Moving air that you can feel.

abohawa

Weather

The condition of the air, such as sun, rain, or wind.

prani

Animal

A living creature such as a dog, bird, or fish.

bagh

Tiger

The Royal Bengal Tiger, national animal and king of the Sundarbans.

shorir

Body

The whole physical structure of a person.

matha

Head

The top part of the body containing the brain and face.

chokh

Eye

The part of the body used for seeing.

kan

Ear

The part of the body used for hearing.

nak

Nose

The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.

mukh

Mouth; face

The mouth, and also the face.

hat

Hand; arm

The upper limb; Bengalis traditionally eat with the right hand.

pa

Leg; foot

The lower limb; touching elders' feet shows respect.

hridoy

Heart

The heart, in body and in poetry.

chul

Hair

The hair on a person's head.

pet

Stomach; belly

The front part of the body below the chest.

daktar

Doctor

A person trained to treat sick people.

hashpatal

Hospital

A place where sick people are treated.

oshudh

Medicine

Something you take to treat an illness.

shastho

Health

The condition of the body and mind.

oshustho

Sick

Ill, not in good health.

kaj

Work; job

A job, or the activity of working.

kompani

Company

A business organization that sells goods or services.

ofis

Office

A room or building where people work at desks.

bos

Boss

The person in charge at work.

shohokormi

Colleague

A person you work with.

shobha

Meeting

An occasion when people come together to discuss something.

taka

Money; taka

Money in general — and the name of Bangladesh's currency.

beton

Salary

The money you receive regularly for your work.

komputer

Computer

An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.

fon

Phone

A device used for calling and messaging people.

pesha

Profession

The type of work a person is trained to do.

prokolpo

Project

A planned piece of work with a clear goal.

grahok

Customer

A person who buys goods or services.

chukti

Contract

A formal written agreement.

myanejar

Manager

The person who leads a company, shop, or team.

karkhana

Factory

A building where goods are made; Bangladesh's garment factories clothe the world.

shongskriti

Culture

The art, customs, and traditions of a society.

itihash

History

The study of past events, or the events themselves.

bhasha

Language

A system of words; the 1952 Language Movement gave the world Mother Language Day.

boi

Book

Written pages bound together; the Ekushey Boi Mela is a beloved book fair.

gan

Song; music

Song and music — Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti are treasures.

sinema

Movie; cinema

A story shown in moving pictures; Satyajit Ray put Bengali film on the world map.

shilpo

Art; industry

Creative work; the same word also means industry.

jadughor

Museum

A building where important objects are shown, literally magic house.

utshob

Festival

A special time of celebration — Eid, Durga Puja, Pohela Boishakh.

pohela boishakh

Bengali New Year

The Bengali New Year on April 14th, celebrated with processions and panta bhat.

dhormo

Religion

Belief in and worship of a god or gods.

shorkar

Government

The group of people who rule a country.

khobor

News

Reports about recent events.

shomaj

Society

People living together in an organized community.

howa

To be; to become

To exist or to become something.

thaka

To have; to stay

To possess or to stay; amar achhe means I have.

jaowa

To go

To move from one place to another.

asha

To come

To move toward the speaker or a place.

khaowa

To eat; to drink

To eat — Bengalis also khaowa (eat) tea, water, and cigarettes!

pan kora

To drink

To drink, formally; everyday Bengali just uses khaowa.

dekha

To see; to watch

To notice something with your eyes.

shona

To hear; to listen

To notice sounds with your ears.

bola

To speak; to say

To say words, to talk.

pora

To read; to study

To read or to study; also means to fall!

lekha

To write

To form letters and words on paper or a screen.

kena

To buy

To get something by paying money.

bikri kora

To sell

To give something in exchange for money.

kora

To do; to make

To perform an action; combines with nouns to make many verbs.

kaj kora

To work

To do a job, literally to do work.

bhaba

To think

To use your mind to form ideas or opinions.

chaowa

To want

To wish for or desire something.

bhalobasha

To love

To feel deep affection; ami tomake bhalobashi means I love you.

pochhondo kora

To like

To find something pleasant or enjoyable.

shekha

To learn

To gain knowledge or skill.

jana

To know (facts)

To have information in your mind.

chena

To know (people)

To be familiar with a person or place.

dewa

To give

To hand something to someone.

newa

To take

To pick something up or accept it.

khonja

To look for

To try to find something.

shahajjo kora

To help

To make something easier for someone.

shuru kora

To begin

To start doing something.

shesh kora

To finish

To bring something to an end.

bhalo

Good

Of high quality or pleasant — the most useful Bengali adjective.

kharap

Bad

Of poor quality or unpleasant.

boro

Big; elder

Of great size; also means elder, as in boro bhai.

chhoto

Small; younger

Of little size; also means younger.

notun

New

Recently made or bought.

purono

Old (things)

Having existed for a long time; old Dhaka is puran Dhaka.

torun

Young

Not old, in an early stage of life.

lomba

Tall; long

Of great height or length.

khato

Short

Of little height or length.

gorom

Hot

Having a high temperature; Bengal summers are fiercely gorom.

thanda

Cold

Having a low temperature.

druto

Fast

Moving or happening quickly.

dhir

Slow

Moving or happening without speed.

dami

Expensive

Costing a lot of money.

shosta

Cheap

Costing little money.

shundor

Beautiful

Very pleasing to look at; the Sundarbans means beautiful forest.

shohoj

Easy

Not difficult to do or understand.

kothin

Difficult

Hard to do or understand.

gurutbopurno

Important

Having great value or significance.

porishkar

Clean; clear

Free from dirt, or clear.

mishti

Sweet

Sweet in taste — and the famous Bengali sweets themselves: roshogolla, shondesh.

shoktishali

Strong

Having great strength or power.

ki

What

Used to ask about things.

ke

Who

Used to ask about people.

kothay

Where

Used to ask about places.

kokhon

When

Used to ask about time.

keno

Why

Used to ask about reasons.

kibhabe

How

Used to ask about manner or way.

koto

How much; how many

Used to ask about quantity or price.

konta

Which one

Used to ask about a choice between things.

kar

Whose

Used to ask about ownership.

ki

Question particle

Turns a statement into a yes/no question; written without the long i.

bari

House; home

A building where people live, or your home village.

ghor

Room; home

A room, or home in a cozy sense.

rannaghor

Kitchen

The room where food is prepared, literally cooking room.

bathrum

Bathroom

The room for washing.

shobar ghor

Bedroom

The room where you sleep.

dorja

Door

The entrance to a room or building.

janala

Window

An opening in a wall with glass that lets in light.

tebil

Table

A piece of furniture with a flat top.

cheyar

Chair

A seat with a back for one person.

bichhana

Bed

A piece of furniture for sleeping.

ghumano

To sleep

To rest with your eyes closed at night.

kapor

Clothes; cloth

Things you wear; the sari and panjabi are classics.

juta

Shoes

Footwear; removed before entering homes and mosques.

chabi

Key

A metal object used to open locks.

ghori

Clock; watch

A device that shows the time.

telibhishon

Television

A device for watching programmes; everyday Bengali says TV.

bati

Lamp; light

A device that gives light.

byag

Bag

A container with handles for carrying things.

ranna kora

To cook

To prepare food by heating it.

kenakata

Shopping

The activity of buying things.

khushi

Happy

Feeling pleasure and joy.

dukkho

Sadness; sorrow

The feeling of being unhappy.

rag

Anger

The feeling of strong displeasure; also a melodic mode in music!

bhoy

Fear

The feeling of being afraid.

klanto

Tired

Needing rest after work or activity.

khudharto

Hungry

Feeling the need to eat; everyday Bengali says khide peyechhe.

chintito

Worried

Feeling anxious about something.

birokto

Bored; annoyed

Feeling tired of something uninteresting, or irritated.

uttejito

Excited

Full of eager anticipation.

obak

Surprised

Feeling wonder at something unexpected.

prem

Love

Romantic love, sung in a thousand Bengali songs.

asha

Hope

The feeling that something good will happen.