अबे-तबे

Hindi

Etymology

Reduplication of अबे (abe, informal interjection, sometimes considered rude).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ə.beː.t̪ə.beː/, [ɐ.beː.t̪ɐ.beː]

Noun

अबे-तबे • (abe-tabe) f or m (indeclinable, Urdu spelling اَبے تَبے) (colloquial)

1. a rude or an intimate, informal conversation

   दोनों दोस्तों की अबे-तबे चल रही है।

   donõ dostõ kī abe-tabe cal rahī hai.

   Both friends are having an intimate conversation.

2. rudeness, disrespectfulness

   Synonyms: निरादर (nirādar), अनादर (anādar), असभ्यता (asabhyatā), अशिष्टता (aśiṣṭatā), अभद्रता (abhadratā), तू-तड़ाक (tū-taṛāk)

   अपना अबे-तबे बंद करो!

   apnā abe-tabe band karo!

   Stop being rude!

   (literally, “Stop your rudeness”)

Derived terms

• अबे-तबे करना (abe-tabe karnā)

Further reading

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “अबे-तबे”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• “अबे-तबे”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.