Bengali: common questions
- 1What script does Bengali use?Bengali is written in the Eastern Nagari script, shared with Assamese. It runs left to right and hangs letters from a horizontal headstroke called the matra. The script is a syllabic alphabet: each consonant carries an inherent vowel that is modified by diacritics placed above, below, before, or after the letter.
- 2How many levels of politeness does Bengali have?Bengali distinguishes three levels of politeness in its pronouns and verb endings: intimate, familiar, and formal. The level you choose changes both the pronoun and the verb conjugation, so it is grammatical rather than optional. Getting the level right matters more in Bengali than tone of voice does in English.
- 3Is Bengali in Bangladesh different from Bengali in West Bengal?The two share a written standard but differ in everyday speech. Bangladeshi Bengali uses more Perso-Arabic vocabulary and distinct pronunciation, while West Bengal Bengali draws more on Sanskrit-derived words. Speakers understand each other without difficulty; the differences are comparable to British and American English.
Guides on Bengali grammar and vocabulary
20 guides · newest first
Bengali Dialects: Bangladesh vs West Bengal GuideBengali dialect reference: Bangladesh vs West Bengal varieties, cholit vs shadhu bhasha, Sylheti and Chittagonian, Hindu and Muslim vocabulary.Apr 18, 2026 · 12 min read
Bengali Body Parts and Medical Vocabulary ReferenceBengali body parts (matha, hat, pa, chokh, mukh), medical vocabulary (ḍakṭar, hashpatal, oshudh, jwôr), symptoms, pharmacy phrases, and emergency expressions.Apr 18, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Greetings and Daily Conversation Phrases ReferenceEssential Bengali phrases: Nomoshkar and Salam greetings, Ki khobor, Dhonnobad, directions, shopping, food vocabulary with script and transliteration.Apr 18, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Colors and Adjectives: Descriptions ReferenceBengali colors (lal, nil, shôbuj, hôlud, kalo, shada) and descriptive adjectives without gender agreement, plus comparatives, definiteness, and cultural color meanings.Apr 18, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Honorifics: The Three Levels of Politeness ReferenceMaster Bengali honorifics: the three politeness levels tui, tumi, and apni with matching verb endings, when to use each, and cultural context.Apr 18, 2026 · 12 min read
Bengali Days, Months, and Time Expressions GuideBengali days of the week, Gregorian and traditional Bengali calendar months (Boishakh, Ashaṛh, Poush), Pohela Boishakh New Year, and time expressions including the kal puzzle.Apr 18, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Kinship Vocabulary: Family Relationships GuideComplete Bengali kinship vocabulary: paternal vs maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, in-laws (shwoshur, shashuri), with respect levels and forms of address.Apr 17, 2026 · 15 min read
Bengali Numbers and Counting: 1 to 1000 Complete ReferenceComplete Bengali numbers guide: 0 to 1000, Bengali numeral script, lakh and crore system, compound numbers, ordinals, and fractional expressions.Apr 17, 2026 · 13 min read
Bengali Food Vocabulary and Cuisine ReferenceComprehensive Bengali food vocabulary: rice, fish, lentils, sweets, restaurant phrases, cooking verbs, and West Bengal vs Bangladesh culinary differences.Apr 17, 2026 · 15 min read
Bengali Postpositions: Complete Case and Particle GuideMaster Bengali postpositions: case suffixes te, er, ke, theke, diye placed after nouns, with comparison to English prepositions and full usage examples.Apr 17, 2026 · 11 min read
Bengali Pronouns: Honorific Levels and DemonstrativesComplete Bengali pronoun reference: personal pronouns at three honorific levels, possessives, reflexives, demonstratives, and relative pronouns.Apr 17, 2026 · 13 min read
Bengali Poetry Vocabulary: Rabindra Sangeet and MoreBengali poetic vocabulary including Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore's 2,232 songs), Nazrul Geeti, prem maya akash surjo, Vaishnava tradition, and the language of Bengali poetry.Apr 17, 2026 · 16 min read
Bengali Phonology and Pronunciation GuideMaster Bengali pronunciation: the inherent vowel ô, schwa deletion, retroflex vs dental consonants, aspiration, and the missing v and z sounds.Apr 17, 2026 · 13 min read
Top 100 Common Bengali Verbs with Conjugation GuideBengali most common verbs (hôwa, kôra, jaowa, asha, khaowa, bôla, dêkha) with present, past, future conjugations across three honorific levels and sample sentences.Apr 17, 2026 · 16 min read
Bengali Travel Phrases and Tourist Guide ReferenceEssential Bengali travel phrases for airports, hotels, rickshaws, Kolkata, Dhaka, Sundarbans tourism, and emergencies, with script and transliteration.Apr 17, 2026 · 16 min read
Bengali Script and Alphabet: Eastern Nagari GuideMaster the Bengali alphabet (Eastern Nagari) with all 11 vowels, 39 consonants, conjunct letters, matra rules, and distinctive features versus Devanagari.Apr 17, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Weather, Seasons, and Nature Vocabulary ReferenceBengali six seasons (grishmo, bôrsha, shôrôt, hemônto, shit, bôshonto), weather vocabulary, monsoon culture, flowers, animals, and rivers with cultural context.Apr 17, 2026 · 15 min read
Bengali Literature and Language: Tagore's LegacyBengali literature reference: Rabindranath Tagore's 1913 Nobel Prize, Bankim Chandra, Nazrul Islam, Rabindra sangeet vocabulary, and poetic tradition.Apr 17, 2026 · 14 min read
Bengali Verb Conjugation: Complete Tense System ReferenceComplete Bengali verb conjugation guide: present, past, future, conditional, continuous, and perfect tenses with honorific-level agreement patterns.Apr 16, 2026 · 15 min read
Over 100 Common Bengali Phrases for TravelersOver 100 essential Bengali phrases with script and transliteration: greetings, politeness, shopping, food, emergencies, and farewells for travelers and learners.Apr 16, 2026 · 15 min read