पतिPatiHusband
Pati (पति) is the Hindi word for husband — the man a woman is married to. It comes from Sanskrit, where pati meant lord or master, a root that survives in words like rashtrapati (president). In family-tree terms, pati simply labels the husband in a married couple.
Who is your Pati?
The pati-patni pair sits at the center of the Hindi family, and tradition wrapped the husband in considerable formality: for generations wives in North India avoided uttering their pati's name at all, calling out suniye (please listen) or ji instead — a custom still remembered and gently joked about today. Festivals reinforce the bond: on Karva Chauth, married women across North India fast from sunrise to moonrise for their husband's long life, breaking the fast only after seeing him alongside the moon through a sieve.
How it's used
Pati is a referential word — wives say mere pati when speaking about their husband, usually with respectful plural verbs, but address him by name, as aap, or with an endearment. For example: "Mere pati sarkari daftar mein kaam karte hain." — "My husband works in a government office."
Pati vs similar terms
The same man holds different titles around the family: he is pati to his wife, damaad (son-in-law) to her parents, and jijaji to her younger siblings. Pati describes only the marital bond itself, seen from the wife's side.
Frequently asked questions
What does Pati mean in Hindi?
Pati means husband in Hindi — the male partner in a marriage. The word descends from a Sanskrit term for lord, and it appears in the standard pairing pati-patni, meaning husband and wife.
Why do Hindi speakers say mere pati with plural verbs?
Hindi grammar uses plural forms to show respect, so a wife traditionally says mere pati kaam karte hain rather than the singular karta hai. It is the same honorific plural applied to parents, elders, and teachers.
Related terms
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