भी

See also: भा, भ, भू, and भृ

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀯𑀺 (vi), 𑀧𑀺 (pi), 𑀅𑀯𑀺 (avi), from Sanskrit अपि (api, “close by; also”).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /bʱiː/

Particle

भी • (bhī) (Urdu spelling بھی)

1. even

   यह खाया भी जा सकता है!

   yah khāyā bhī jā saktā hai!

   It can even be eaten!

Adverb

भी • (bhī) (Urdu spelling بھی)

1. also, too

   तुम भी जाओगी? ― tum bhī jāogī? ― Will you too go?

   और वो भी दो ― aur vo bhī do ― And, also give me that.

References

• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985) “ápi”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ভী (Assamese script)
• ᬪᬷ (Balinese script)
• ভী (Bengali script)
• 𑰥𑰱 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀪𑀻 (Brahmi script)
• ဘီ (Burmese script)
• ભી (Gujarati script)
• ਭੀ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌭𑍀 (Grantha script)
• ꦨꦷ (Javanese script)
• 𑂦𑂲 (Kaithi script)
• ಭೀ (Kannada script)
• ភី (Khmer script)
• ຠີ (Lao script)
• ഭീ (Malayalam script)
• ᢨᡳᡳ (Manchu script)
• 𑘥𑘲 (Modi script)
• ᠪᠾᠢᠢ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧅𑧓 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐨𑐷 (Newa script)
• ଭୀ (Odia script)
• ꢩꢷ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆨𑆵 (Sharada script)
• 𑖥𑖱 (Siddham script)
• භී (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩳𑩑𑩛 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚡𑚯 (Takri script)
• பீ⁴ (Tamil script)
• భీ (Telugu script)
• ภี (Thai script)
• བྷཱི (Tibetan script)
• 𑒦𑒲 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨡𑨁𑨊 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to fear”). Cognate with Old English bifian (whence English bive), Avestan 𐬠𐬀𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈 (bayente, “they are afraid”), Persian بیم (bim, “fear”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bʱiː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /bʱiː/

Root

भी • (bhī)

1. (parasmaipada) to fear, dread, be afraid of

   मृत्योर्बिभेषि किं बाल न स भीतं विमुञ्चति; रावणाद्बिभ्यतीं भृशम् Bk.8.7; Śi.3.45.

   mṛtyorbibheṣi kiṃ bāla na sa bhītaṃ vimuñcati; rāvaṇādbibhyatīṃ bhṛśam Bk.8.7; Śi.3.45.

   Boy, why are you afraid of death ? Death does not release this anger; he was scared of Ravana.

2. (ātmanepada) to be anxious or solicitous about

Derived terms

Sanskrit terms belonging to the root भी (0 c, 11 e)

Terms derived from the Sanskrit root भी (10 c, 0 e)

Primary Verbal Forms

• बिभेति (bibhéti, Present)
• बिभ्यति (bibhyati, Present)
• भयते (bháyate, Present)
• भेष्यति (bheṣyati, Future)
• भेता (bhetā, Periphrastic Future)
• अभैषीत् (ábhaiṣīt, Aorist)
• अभेत् (ábhet, Aorist)
• बिभाय (bibhā́ya, Perfect)
• बिभयांचकार (bibhayā́ṃcakāra, Periphrastic Perfect)

Secondary Forms

• भीयते (bhīyate, Passive)
• अभायि (abhāyi, Passive Aorist)
• भीषयति (bhīṣáyati, Causative)
• भाययति (bhāyayati, Causative)
• अबीभयत् (abībhayat, Causative Aorist)
• बिभीषति (bibhīṣati, Desiderative)

Non-Finite Forms

• भीत (bhītá, Past Participle)
• भेतुम् (bhetum, Infinitive)
• भियसे (bhiyáse, Infinitive)
• भय्य (bhayya, Gerundive)
• भेय (bheya, Gerundive)
• भेतव्य (bhetavya, Gerundive)

Derived Nominal Forms

• भय (bhayá)
• भियसान (bhiyásāna)
• भी (bhī́)
• भीति (bhīti)
• भीम (bhīmá)
• भीरु (bhīrú)
• भीषण (bhī́ṣaṇa)
• भीषा (bhīṣā)
• भीष्म (bhīṣmá)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *bʰíHs, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰíHs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéyh₂-s ~ *bʰih₂-és, from *bʰeyh₂- (“to fear”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /bʱíː/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /bʱiː/

Noun

भी • (bhī́) stem, f

1. fear, fright, alarm, dread

Declension

Feminine ī-stem declension of भी (bhī́)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	भीः bhī́ḥ	भियौ bhíyau	भियः bhíyaḥ
Vocative	भीः bhī́ḥ	भियौ bhíyau	भियः bhíyaḥ
Accusative	भियम् bhíyam	भियौ bhíyau	भियः bhíyaḥ
Instrumental	भिया bhiyā́	भीभ्याम् bhībhyā́m	भीभिः bhībhíḥ
Dative	भिये / भियै¹ bhiyé / bhiyaí¹	भीभ्याम् bhībhyā́m	भीभ्यः bhībhyáḥ
Ablative	भियः / भियाः¹ / भियै² bhiyáḥ / bhiyā́ḥ¹ / bhiyaí²	भीभ्याम् bhībhyā́m	भीभ्यः bhībhyáḥ
Genitive	भियः / भियाः¹ / भियै² bhiyáḥ / bhiyā́ḥ¹ / bhiyaí²	भियोः bhiyóḥ	भियाम् / भीनाम्¹ bhiyā́m / bhīnā́m¹
Locative	भियि / भियाम्¹ bhiyí / bhiyā́m¹	भियोः bhiyóḥ	भीषु bhīṣú
Notes	¹Later Sanskrit ²Brāhmaṇas

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “भी”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 758, column 1.
• William Dwight Whitney, 1885, The Roots, Verb-forms, and Primary Derivatives of the Sanskrit Language, Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, page 111-112