Behen

Behen is a term in Hindustani languages that means sister. It is written as बहन in Devanagari and as بہن in Urdu script, and is commonly transliterated as behen. In Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi speech, behen functions as a kinship term referring to a female sibling. The word is feminine and is used in a wide range of contexts, from everyday conversation to literature and media.

In everyday language, behen can be used to address a sister or a close female relative, such as meri behen or tumhari behen. It can also appear as an affectionate or informal form of address among friends in certain contexts, reflecting warmth or familiarity within cultural norms around family ties. In some expressions and idioms, the term may carry strong emotional weight, and it can appear in exclamations or culturally specific phrases that emphasize care, solidarity, or, less positively, offense, depending on tone and circumstance.

Culturally, behen has significance in South Asian societies where family relationships are central. It often conveys not only familial connection but a sense of responsibility, protection, and closeness associated with sisters. The term appears frequently in songs, films, and literature to symbolize sisterhood, support, and moral or familial bonds.

Linguistically, behen belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and reflects the common kinship vocabulary of the region. Beyond its primary meaning, behen can occasionally appear as a proper noun in some communities, used as a given name or surname, though such usage does not denote a separate meaning of the word itself.