ਭਰਾBhraBrother
Bhra (ਭਰਾ) is the Punjabi word for brother — a male sibling. It covers both elder and younger brothers, and in everyday Punjabi it stretches naturally to first cousins, who are counted as brothers rather than distant relatives.
Who is your Bhra?
Brotherhood carries real weight in Punjab: brothers traditionally farmed the family land together, stood surety for one another, and remained one household long after marriage. The bond is renewed every year at Rakhri, when a sister ties a thread on her brother's wrist and he repeats his promise of protection. That is also why cousin terms like chachera bhra literally end in "brother" — the culture resists calling a cousin anything less.
How it's used
You refer to your brother as bhra, but you rarely address him with it: an elder brother is called Veerji or Bhaji to his face, and a younger one simply by name. Example: "ਮੇਰਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਭਰਾ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ" (Mera vadda bhra Canada vich rehnda hai) — "My elder brother lives in Canada."
Where Bhra comes from
Bhra descends from the Sanskrit bhrātṛ, 'brother' — a cousin of Latin frater and English 'brother' itself.
Bhra vs similar terms
Bhra is the plain noun; Veerji is the respectful address for an elder brother. Chachera, mamera, phuphera, and masera bhra are cousin-brothers through your chacha, mama, bhua, and masi respectively — all called bhra in daily life.
Did you know?
In Punjabi, bhra stretches to cousins too: a chachera or mamera bhra is counted a brother, never a distant relative.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhra mean in Punjabi?
Bhra (ਭਰਾ) means brother. It is the general Punjabi word for a male sibling, elder or younger, and it extends to male cousins, who are treated as brothers in Punjabi families.
What is the difference between Bhra and Veerji?
Bhra is the neutral word for brother, used when talking about him. Veerji is the affectionate-respectful way of addressing an elder brother directly, built from veer (brother) plus the honorific ji.
Related terms
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