বন্ধু

What does বন্ধু mean?

বন্ধু (bondhu) is a Bangla noun that means friend in English.

বন্ধু (bondhu) is the standard word for friend, used across all age groups and social registers. While young men in casual Dhaka circles often address each other with Arabic-origin দোস্ত (dosto), বন্ধু (bondhu) remains the most natural and respectful choice for any friendship. Foreign learners should note that although older literary Bangla had distinct feminine forms, modern colloquial speech uses বন্ধু (bondhu) seamlessly for friends of any gender.

How do you say “friend” in Bangla?

Say বন্ধু, pronounced bondhu. Press play to hear a native Bangladeshi voice say it.

Pronunciation tips

• It has a breathy consonant (bh, chh, dh, kh, th): say it with a small puff of air, as if a soft h follows.

These sounds have no exact English match. Practise them letter by letter in the Bengali alphabet guide.