I'm a hardcore Bengali myself, and honestly, kichu kotha onek din dhore mathay ghurchhe. Just wanted to share my thoughts and know what others feel about this.

I've stayed in different states, like Punjab and Karnataka (Bangalore), and met people from different backgrounds — Punjabi, Haryanvi, Malayali, Gujarati, Marwari, Kannadiga and many others.

And idk if it's just my personal experience or what, but sometimes I feel like Bengalis are not that supportive of each other anymore.

Bengali as a language is so sweet, amader culture, literature, festivals, everything is something to be proud of. But sometimes I feel like bhasha ta mishti, kintu manush gulo keno eto kuchute? 😅

Like, someone is trying to do something good in life, build a career, start something new or achieve something... instead of encouraging them, people will first point out the flaws, make sarcastic comments, compare them with others or secretly feel jealous.

Help korte bolle onek shomoy keu nei, kintu criticize korar shomoy shobai first row te boshe ache. 💀

And the sad part is, sometimes this happens even among people from the same small Bengali group. I saw this during my college days in Bangalore. There were small Bengali circles, but even within those groups, people would talk shit about each other behind their backs.

Ofc, I'm not saying all Bengalis are like this. That would be unfair. I've met some genuinely amazing Bengali people too.

But when I compare my experiences, I sometimes feel people from other communities are more willing to stick together, help each other out and celebrate their own people's success. Not everyone, obviously, but I've noticed this quite a few times.

Maybe I'm looking at other communities from the outside and don't see their internal problems. Maybe I've just met the wrong people. I'm genuinely open to being wrong here.

What makes me a little sad is that even our parents talk about how people have changed over time. Maybe the old days weren't perfect either, but amar mone hoy, that sense of helping each other, that "nijer lok bole ektu pashe darabo" mentality, is becoming less common.

And before anyone says I'm disrespecting Bengali culture, that's exactly the opposite of what I mean.

I love being Bengali. I love our language, our traditions, Durga Puja, our food, our literature, everything. But loving your community doesn't mean you can't question its flaws, right?

Amra shobai intellectual hote chai, kintu ekjon arekjoner success dekhe genuinely happy hote pari na keno?

Why is it sometimes so difficult to support someone without feeling threatened by their progress?

Maybe the problem isn't Bengali people specifically. Maybe it's human nature, competition, insecurity or just the kind of people we surround ourselves with.

I honestly don't know.

I'm just sharing this because it feels bad when you love your community so much but sometimes feel disappointed by the behaviour of its people.

So, fellow Bengalis and non-Bengalis, tell me honestly:

Am I overthinking this, or have you also noticed something similar in your own community?

Would genuinely love to hear different perspectives. No hate, just an honest discussion. ❤️

My mum reminisces about life in mid-century Bangladesh now and then, and those memories include house helpers, like maids, farmers, drivers and so forth. My mum referred to them by their daak naam and described them as kajor lok or manush, something like that. To simplify, I called them "চাকর".

Tonight, my mum told me not to call people "চাকর", otherwise they'll beat me up. 😳 My mum said the house helpers were called kormochari, which Google translates to "employee". I really had no idea চাকর was such a rude word. 😅

recently been exploring Bengali cinema and watched films like the Apu Trilogy, Charulata, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Titash Ekti Nadir Naam, Noukadubi, Hemlock Society, Baishe Srabon, Debi, the Feluda films, Putul Nacher Itikatha, and Asha Jaoar Majhe, Aranyer Din Ratri.

the range of storytelling in these Bengali movies is incredible, from arthouse classics and literary adaptations to psychological thrillers and modern films. looking for more films that hit that same level. what would you recommend?

লার্নিং কার্ভটা অনেকের কাছে একটু জটিল মনে হলেও আমার মনে হয় একবার প্রভাত কিবোর্ডে অভ্যস্থ হতে পারলে এটা ব্যবহার করা অনেক শান্তির। ল্যাপটপে প্রভাত নেই, সেখানে অভ্র একরকম অনিচ্ছায় ই ব্যবহার করতে হয়। 🥲 যতবার ই এলোমেলো ইংরেজি দিয়ে বাংলা শব্দ বাছাই করতে যাই, ততবার ই প্রভাতের কথা মনে পড়ে যায়। 😆

Hey so I am tunisian and I have a bangali gf and would like to start learning bangla (only conversation) to be able to talk to her and her family

I've noticed that when Bengali is written in the Latin alphabet, almost everyone seems to invent their own spelling conventions.

for example, even a simple word like হ্যাঁ gets written as ha, hae, hya, or hyan. then we have ফুল as phool, phul, or fool, ভালো as bhalo or valo, and কোথায় as kothay or kothae.

Some differences are understandable because Bengali sounds don't map neatly onto English spelling. Others seem to come from people mixing transliteration, pronunciation-based writing, and English spelling conventions.

There are also regional differences that make things more interesting: forms such as করছি → korchi versus korsi, or আছে → ache versus ase, can reflect actual differences in speech rather than incorrect romanization.

So I'm curious:

1. Which romanized Bengali spellings do you find the most confusing or misleading?

2. Should we write Bengali according to its actual pronunciation, its original script, or whichever spelling is easiest to understand?

3. Is there any realistic way to develop a consistent informal romanization system without making everyday texting inconvenient?

please share examples, especially ones where two spellings could make a reader pronounce the word differently

Hi everyone!

I want to learn to speak Bengali fluently. I know the basic vocabulary and can read and understand the language to some extent, but I tend to falter when it comes to speaking.

I guess a language is truly learnt only when you actually use it, so I'm looking for someone with whom I can practise conversational Bengali. Ideally, I'd like to have casual conversations about everyday topics and gradually become more comfortable speaking the language.

If anyone is interested in helping out or learning together, please feel free to drop me a message. I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!

সোনা, বড্ড বেশি ঝলমলাও,

লিফটে ওঠ একতলায়।

Beatles ছাড়া অন্য পোকা খুব boring 🔥

কিছুদিন আগে একটা পুরোনো বাংলা বইয়ের PDF থেকে কয়েকটা লাইন কপি করে Word-এ পেস্ট করলাম। স্ক্রিনে বইটা দিব্যি বাংলায় দেখাচ্ছে, অথচ পেস্ট করার পর এল এরকম কিছু:

`Avgvi fvlv evsjv`

অথচ লেখা ছিল "আমার ভাষা বাংলা"।

অনেক খোঁজাখুঁজি করে বুঝলাম, সমস্যাটা বইয়ের নয়, ফন্টের। আগে বেশিরভাগ বাংলা বই আর পত্রিকা ছাপা হতো SutonnyMJ-এর মতো Bijoy ফন্টে। এই ফন্টগুলো দেখতে বাংলা হলেও ভেতরে আসলে ইংরেজি অক্ষর দিয়ে তৈরি, কম্পিউটার সেগুলোকে বাংলা হিসেবে চেনে না। তাই কপি করলেই আসল চেহারাটা বেরিয়ে পড়ে। আজকের Unicode বাংলায় এই সমস্যা হয় না।

এর ফলে কয়েকটা সাধারণ কাজও প্রায় অসম্ভব হয়ে যায়: পুরোনো বই থেকে একটা উদ্ধৃতি কপি করা, PDF-এর ভেতরে কোনো শব্দ খোঁজা, কিংবা পুরোটা আবার টাইপ না করে বইটা নতুন করে ছাপানো বা ই-বুক বানানো।

আমি হায়দরাবাদে থাকি, ভারতীয় ভাষার ডকুমেন্ট নিয়ে একটা টুল বানাচ্ছি। তেলুগু আর হিন্দির পুরোনো ফন্টে এই কাজটাই করছি: এমন PDF থেকে সরাসরি সঠিক Unicode লেখা বের করা, লেআউট যতটা সম্ভব একই রেখে। এখন বাংলা নিয়ে কাজ শুরু করেছি। কিন্তু বাংলা আমার মাতৃভাষা নয়, তাই আপনাদের সাহায্য চাই।

তিনটে প্রশ্ন:

১. আপনাদের কাছে থাকা পুরোনো PDF-গুলোতে কোন ফন্ট সবচেয়ে বেশি দেখেন? SutonnyMJ, অন্য কোনো Bijoy ফন্ট, নাকি অন্য কিছু?

২. এখন এই সমস্যা কীভাবে সামলান? কোনো কনভার্টার ব্যবহার করেন, নাকি আবার টাইপ করেন?

৩. শেয়ার করতে আপত্তি নেই এমন একটা-দুটো পাতা (যেমন পুরোনো সরকারি নোটিস বা কপিরাইটমুক্ত বই) কেউ দিতে পারলে, আমি সেটা দিয়ে পরীক্ষা করে ফলাফল এখানেই দেখাব।

পুরোপুরি স্বচ্ছ থাকতে বলছি: টুলটা আমারই বানানো, নাম IndicPDF। কেউ জানতে চাইলে কমেন্টে লিংক দেব। বাংলার অংশ এখনও পরীক্ষাধীন, তাই ঠিকঠাক কাজ না করা পর্যন্ত বাংলা নিয়ে কোনো দাবি করছি না।

Src

আশা করি এতে পশ্চিমবঙ্গে বাংলা ভাষা প্রচার এবং গুরুত্ব বৃদ্ধি হবে ।

https://www.news18.com/india/centre-announces-centres-of-excellence-for-5-classical-languages-across-5-universities-ws-e-10366288.html

https://x.com/ANI/status/1745421543507972362?s=20

In January 2024 , after extreme pressure by several Pro Bengal groups , former TMC led WestBengal Government had to gather relevant historical evidence for submission of classical Indian language demand with Ministry of Culture-GOI . ( The only few countable steps towards upholding Bengali identity and Bengali culture done by former Bengal State Govt) .Classical Indian Language status for Bengali by Union Cabinet of Government of India was cleared in October 2024.

Btw, the word ব্যক্ ত্তি should be ব্যক্তি, so it was a mistake, in case anyone wondering

Nomoshkar shobai, Ami chotobala theke India te boro hoyni, Amar poribar kolkata teke kintu ami ar amar didi bidesh e jonmaichi ar boro hoiche, amar didi khub bhalo kore bangla likte ar porte pare kano amar ma oke shikyechilo, kintu ami bangla lekha khub bhalo kore shikhini, ami bangla portepari kintu khub aste aste. Ami bangla bhalo boltepari kintu bhalo liktepari na, jodi kono tips ache nishchoy likho.
Thanks

I swear it looks like a stylised "ভ" to me, what do you guys think?

Hi everyone!

I’m trying to learn Bengali/Bangla, and I’d really appreciate some guidance from native Bengali speakers.

I have a bank exam coming up in about a month, for which I need to demonstrate Bengali proficiency. I can already somewhat read Bengali script and understand a little Bengali, but I’m still very much a beginner.

My main goal is to learn to write Bengali correctly with proper spelling, grammar, sentence formation and vocabulary. I also want to improve my reading, speaking and listening along the way.

I have another personal reason for wanting to learn the language: I am genuinely looking to live in Bengal in the future. So I'm not looking to learn just enough to pass an exam. I'd actually like to develop a proper connection with the language.

I currently have about one month to make as much progress as possible. If anyone could recommend good books, YouTube channels, courses, textbooks, or a structured way of learning, I'd be very grateful.

And if anyone is willing to occasionally correct my Bengali writing or help me understand how a native speaker would naturally phrase something, that would be incredibly helpful.

I'm serious about learning and willing to put in the work. ❤️

ধন্যবাদ! 🙏

Looking forward to learning from you all.

জানি, পোস্টটা সরাসরি বাংলা সাহিত্য-সম্পর্কিত নয়। তবুও এখানে জানতে চাইছি এমন কোনো বইয়ের খোঁজ কি কেউ দিতে পারবেন, যেখানে বাংলার বিভিন্ন ফুলের বাংলা নাম একসঙ্গে পাওয়া যাবে?

আমি শুধু গোলাপ, জবা, শিউলি, বেলি, টগর, গন্ধরাজের মতো খুব পরিচিত ফুলগুলোর কথা বলছি না। বরং তারাঝরা, দাতিরাধা, অশোক, কুরচি, নাগকেশর, মুচকুন্দ, কাঞ্চন, আকন্দ, বনমল্লিকা, অতসী, অপরাজিতা, রক্তকরবী এ ধরনের কম পরিচিত, আঞ্চলিক, বুনো কিংবা বাংলা সাহিত্য ও সংস্কৃতিতে ব্যবহৃত ফুলের নামও জানতে চাই।

মূলত এমন একটি বই খুঁজছি, যেখানে বাংলার যত বেশি সম্ভব ফুলের বাংলা নাম, সম্ভব হলে পরিচয় ও ছবি-সহ, সংকলিত আছে। এ ধরনের কোনো বই, উদ্ভিদকোষ, অভিধান বা অন্য কোনো নির্ভরযোগ্য উৎসের কথা জানা থাকলে দয়া করে জানাবেন। অনেক দিন ধরেই এমন কিছু খুঁজছি।

The name evolved like this bongo to banglah persion influence to bangla if persion influence was not there the language would be known as bongo only and people bongiyo what you people think? Bengali have many sanskirt influence also like jol aakash remove that also want pure bengali use magha prakrit words and deshi words like pani asmai etc etc

The name evolved like this bongo to banglah persion influence to bangla if persion influence was not there the language would be known as bongo only and people bongiyo what you people think? Bengali have many sanskirt influence also like jol aakash remove that also want pure bengali use magha prakrit words and deshi words like pani asmai etc etc

চিরবসন্ত যে তোমারি খোঁজে এসেছে প্রাণে।

I have noticed this pattern with Hindi that everyone has stopped using its script, everyone was using english script to text in Hindi It was honestly convienient but the problem was everyone started to write in a language created by Gen z's calls Hinglish. The reason why this happened I think is probably because hindi is the only language (beside english) that connects whole India and now the script is almost dead. and sadly the only people who uses hindi right now are millenials and hindi medium students who don't know english at all.

But lately, Bengali has also showed the same sign Everyone is using english script to text in bengali but luckily they have not started to write in this english-bengali mixture language yet.

We should focus on texting in bengali too.

বাংলা আমাদের মাত্রি ভাসা আমাদের এতে গরব করা উচিত, আমার বানান ভুল হক আর না হক আমি বাংলাই আমাকে বাংলা লিখতে বেস ভালই লাগে ।