Source: https://jugti.com/kosh/words/bapu/ ਬ [Kosh](https://jugti.com/kosh/)/[Words](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/)/Noun Word # ਬਾਪੂ bapu Say it**baa-POO, with the stress on the second syllable**Type**Noun** In short Bapu (ਬਾਪੂ) is the Punjabi word for father: the warm, respectful word most children use for their dad at home, between formal pita and plain baap. Across India it is also the affectionate name of Gandhi, the father of the nation. In the pair bebe bapu it means father, one of the parents. ## How it's used 1. 1ਮੇਰਾ ਬਾਪੂ ਸਵੇਰੇ ਖੇਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ੤My bapu goes to the fields in the morning. _bapu at work_ 2. 2ਬਾਪੂ ਜੀ, ਚਾਹ ਪੀ ਲਓ੤Bapu ji, please have some tea. _respectful address with ji_ 3. 3ਬਾਪੂ ਨੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਸਾਈਕਲ ਚਲਾਉਣਾ ਸਿਖਾਇਆ੤Bapu taught me to ride a bicycle. _learning from father_ Show 1 more example 1. 4ਪਿੰਡ ਦੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਲੋਕ ਬਜ਼ੁਰਗ ਨੂੰ ਬਾਪੂ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ੤Everyone in the village calls the elder bapu. _addressing an elder_ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਥ ਬਾਪੂ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਕਹਿਣ ਦਾ ਪਿਆਰ ਅਤੇ ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਭਰਿਆ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੈ੤ ਬੱਚੇ ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਿਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਬਾਪੂ ਜਾਂ ਬਾਪੂ ਜੀ ਕਹਿ ਕੇ ਬੁਲਾਉੰਦੇ ਹਨ੤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸਬਦ ਰਸਮੀ ਹੈ, ਪਿਉ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਅਤੇ ਮਿੱਠਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਬਾਪ ਸਾਧਾਰਣ ਬੋਲੀ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੈ੤ ਬਾਪੂ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਸਭ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਖੜ੍ਹਾ ਹੈ: ਨਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਰਸਮੀ, ਨਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਧਾਰਣ੤ What does bapu mean in Punjabi? Bapu (ਬਾਪੂ), pronounced baa-poo, is the warm and respectful Punjabi word for father, the word most children use for their dad at home. It sits between the formal pita and the plain baap: close enough for family talk, and respectful enough to use in front of anyone. ## Meaning Punjabi has several words for father, and each carries a different tone. Pita is the formal word, found in writing and careful speech. Piu is an older, tender word still heard in songs and in village speech. Baap is plain and direct, and in the wrong tone it can sound blunt. Bapu is the everyday middle ground for most families: affectionate, respectful, and natural to say from childhood into old age. Adding ji, as in bapu ji, raises the respect a little further. ## Why is Gandhi called Bapu? Across India, bapu became the affectionate name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, honoured as the father of the nation. Reference works on the name note that bapu means father, that its respectful form is bapuji with the honorific ji added, and that Punjabi bapu belongs to the same family of father words as baap. So when Indians call Gandhi Bapu, they are using the same household word a Punjabi child uses at home, widened to a whole country. ## Is bapu only used for your own father? No. In everyday Punjabi usage, children also address an elderly man or a respected father figure as bapu, even when he is not a relative. It is a way of giving an older man the standing of a father. In the paired phrase bebe bapu, the word simply means father, standing for parents together with bebe, mother. ## Related words [ਬੇਬੇbebemother, mum: the warm, respectful household word](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/bebe/)[ਮਾਪੇmaapeParents; mother and father together](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/maape/)[ਦਾਦਾdadaFather's father; paternal grandfather](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/dada/) Sources (2) 1. [Father Meaning in Punjabi | TuteeHub Dictionary](https://dictionary.tuteehub.com/meaning/father-meaning-in-punjabi-4028552) 2. [What Does the Name Bapu Mean? | Names.org](https://www.names.org/n/bapu/about) [Report a correction](https://jugti.com/corrections/) **Jugti is free and independent.** Reader support keeps the Kosh growing. [Support](https://jugti.com/support/) ## More words [ਮੁਟਿਆਰmutiyara young woman who has grown up, the heroine of Punjabi songs](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/mutiyar/)[ਗੱਭਰੂgabrua young man in his prime, a dashing lad](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/gabru/)[ਪਟੋਲਾpatolaslang for a beautiful, stylishly dressed woman; a compliment in Punjabi songs and speech](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/patola/)[ਝੂਮਰjhumarslow, graceful Punjabi folk dance of the harvest, traditionally danced by men](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/jhumar/)[ਗਿੱਧਾgiddhaPunjabi women's folk dance](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/giddha/)[ਚਿਮਟਾchimtamusical tongs with jingles, a folk percussion instrument](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/chimta/) [ੳ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B3)[ਅ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%85)[ੲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B2)[ਸ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B8)[ਹ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B9)[ਕ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%95)[ਖ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%96)[ਗ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%97)[ਘ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%98)[ਙ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%99)[ਚ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9A)[ਛ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9B)[ਜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9C)[ਝ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9D)[ਞ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9E)[ਟ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9F)[ਠ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A0)[ਡ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A1)[ਢ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A2)[ਣ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A3)[ਤ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A4)[ਥ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A5)[ਦ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A6)[ਧ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A7)[ਨ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A8)[ਪ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AA)[ਫ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AB)[ਬ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AC)[ਭ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AD)[ਮ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AE)[ਯ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AF)[ਰ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B0)[ਲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B2)[ਵ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B5)[ੜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%9C) On this page[In short](#in-short)[How it's used](#how-used)[ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਥ](#pa-meaning)[Meaning](#s-b002)[Why is Gandhi called Bapu?](#s-b004)[Is bapu only used for your own father?](#s-b008) Related words[ਬੇਬੇ bebemother, mum: the warm, respectful household word](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/bebe/)[ਮਾਪੇ maapeParents; mother and father together](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/maape/)[ਦਾਦਾ dadaFather's father; paternal grandfather](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/dada/) [A Punjabi wordਨਾਨੀnaniMother's mother; maternal grandmother](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/nani/) Browse words by letter [ੳ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B3)[ਅ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%85)[ੲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%B2)[ਸ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B8)[ਹ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B9)[ਕ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%95)[ਖ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%96)[ਗ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%97)[ਘ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%98)[ਙ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%99)[ਚ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9A)[ਛ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9B)[ਜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9C)[ਝ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9D)[ਞ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9E)[ਟ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%9F)[ਠ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A0)[ਡ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A1)[ਢ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A2)[ਣ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A3)[ਤ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A4)[ਥ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A5)[ਦ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A6)[ਧ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A7)[ਨ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%A8)[ਪ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AA)[ਫ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AB)[ਬ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AC)[ਭ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AD)[ਮ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AE)[ਯ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%AF)[ਰ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B0)[ਲ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B2)[ਵ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A8%B5)[ੜ](https://jugti.com/kosh/words/?letter=%E0%A9%9C) ## Keep exploring Everything in the Kosh, with sources. [People167 entries](https://jugti.com/kosh/people/)[Places12,408 places](https://jugti.com/kosh/places/)[Books55 books](https://jugti.com/kosh/books/)[Religion302 entries](https://jugti.com/kosh/religions/)[ੳA to ZEvery entry by letter](https://jugti.com/kosh/a-z/)