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bee

beginnerA1

/biː/ · bee

A flying insect closely related to wasps and ants, known for its role in pollination and, in the case of the honeybee, for producing honey and wax.

Meanings

noun

A flying insect closely related to wasps and ants, known for its role in pollination and, in the case of the honeybee, for producing honey and wax.

ایک اڑنے والا کیڑا جو شہد بناتا ہے اور پھولوں سے رس جمع کرتا ہے؛ یہ پودوں کی زرخیزی میں اہم کردار ادا کرتا ہے۔

مکھی

makkhi

Formal: شہد کی مکھیColloquial: مکھی

Synonyms

honeybeebumblebeewasp (loosely)زنبورشہد کی مکھیبھومرا

Common Collocations

  • honeybee
  • beeswax
  • bee sting
  • bee hive
  • queen bee
  • worker bee
  • bee colony
  • busy as a bee

Example Sentences

A bee landed on the flower and began collecting nectar.

ایک مکھی پھول پر بیٹھی اور رس جمع کرنے لگی۔

Ek makkhi phool par baithi aur ras jama karne lagi.

The beekeeper carefully removed the honeycomb from the hive.

مکھی پالنے والے نے احتیاط سے چھتے سے شہد کا چھتہ نکالا۔

Makkhi paalne waale ne ehtiyaat se chhate se shahad ka chhata nikaala.

She was stung by a bee while walking through the garden.

باغ میں چلتے ہوئے اسے مکھی نے ڈنک مار دیا۔

Baagh mein chalte hue use makkhi ne dank maar diya.

Bees play a crucial role in pollinating crops and wild plants.

مکھیاں فصلوں اور جنگلی پودوں کی زرخیزی میں اہم کردار ادا کرتی ہیں۔

Makkhiyan faslon aur jangali paudon ki zarkhezi mein aham kirdar ada karti hain.

Easily Confused With

wasp:A wasp is similar to a bee but is generally more aggressive, has a slender body, and does not produce honey. Bees are typically rounder and fuzzier.
fly:A fly (مکھی) is a different insect entirely. The word 'makkhi' in Urdu is used for both, but in English 'bee' specifically refers to the honey-producing, flower-pollinating insect.
nouninformal

A social gathering where people combine work and amusement, especially for a communal task (e.g., 'spelling bee', 'quilting bee').

ایک سماجی اجتماع جہاں لوگ مل کر کوئی کام یا مقابلہ کرتے ہیں، جیسے ہجے کا مقابلہ (spelling bee)۔

اجتماع

ijtima

Formal: اجتماعColloquial: محفل

Synonyms

gatheringcontestcompetitionmeetاجتماعمقابلہمحفلمیلہ

Antonyms

separationdispersalعلیحدگیمنتشر ہونا

Common Collocations

  • spelling bee
  • quilting bee
  • spelling bee contest
  • county bee

Example Sentences

She won first place in the school's annual spelling bee.

اس نے اسکول کے سالانہ ہجے کے مقابلے میں پہلا مقام حاصل کیا۔

Us ne school ke saalana hije ke muqabale mein pehla maqaam haasil kiya.

The spelling bee tested students on increasingly difficult words.

ہجے کے مقابلے میں طلبہ سے مشکل سے مشکل الفاظ کے بارے میں سوال کیے گئے۔

Hije ke muqabale mein tulaba se mushkil se mushkil alfaaz ke baare mein sawal kiye gaye.

In the 19th century, quilting bees were a popular way for communities to socialize.

انیسویں صدی میں، لحاف سینے کے اجتماعات برادریوں کے میل جول کا مقبول طریقہ تھے۔

Uniswin sadi mein, lihaaf seene ke ijtimaat biradariyon ke mel jol ka maqbool tareeqa the.

Easily Confused With

party:A 'bee' in this sense specifically involves a shared task or competition, while a 'party' is primarily for social enjoyment without a specific communal goal.
nouninformal

Used in the idiom 'have a bee in one's bonnet', meaning to be obsessed with a particular idea or to be preoccupied with something.

محاورے 'have a bee in one's bonnet' میں استعمال، جس کا مطلب ہے کسی خیال میں بہت زیادہ منہمک ہونا یا کسی چیز کی دھن سوار ہونا۔

دھن

dhun

Formal: وسواسColloquial: دھن

Synonyms

obsessionfixationpreoccupationجنوندھنخبط

Antonyms

indifferenceapathyبے پروائیلاتعلقی

Common Collocations

  • have a bee in one's bonnet
  • bee in the bonnet about

Example Sentences

He has a bee in his bonnet about environmental conservation.

اسے ماحولیاتی تحفظ کی دھن سوار ہے۔

Use mahauli tahaffuz ki dhun sawaar hai.

She always has a bee in her bonnet about punctuality.

اسے ہمیشہ وقت کی پابندی کا خبط رہتا ہے۔

Use hamesha waqt ki paabandi ka khabat rehta hai.

What bee has he got in his bonnet now?

اب اسے کیا دھن سوار ہو گئی ہے؟

Ab use kya dhun sawaar ho gayi hai?

Word Family

beeswax
nounموم مکھی / شہد موم
beehive
nounچھتہ
beekeeper
nounمکھی پالنے والا
beeline
nounسیدھا راستہ
beehive
nounمکھی کا چھتہ
beeswax
nounموم
spelling bee
noun (compound)ہجے کا مقابلہ

See Also

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 'bee' as the letter 'B' with wings — both are pronounced the same (/biː/). Just like the letter B is basic and foundational, the bee is fundamental to nature and life.

Picture a tiny yellow-and-black striped insect buzzing around a bright yellow sunflower, collecting sweet golden honey — the buzzing sound 'bzzz' even starts with B, just like 'bee'.

✍️ Urdu Poetry

پھول پھول پر منڈلائے یہ زنبورِ عشق میرے دل کے باغ میں بھی اک چھتہ ہے شہد کا

Phool phool par mandlaye yeh zanboor-e-ishq Mere dil ke baagh mein bhi ek chhata hai shahad ka

This bee of love hovers from flower to flower, In the garden of my heart too, there is a honeycomb.

Unknown, Unverified

* Poetry attribution is AI-generated and may require verification.

🗣️ Urdu Proverb

جہاں پھول وہاں مکھی

Jahan phool wahan makkhi

Where there are flowers, there are bees — meaning good things attract those who seek benefit from them.

📖 Etymology

Origin: Old English "bēo" — a bee (the insect)

First known use: Before 12th century

Derived from Old English 'bēo', which traces back to Proto-Germanic '*bijō' and Proto-Indo-European '*bʰey-'. The word has cognates in many Germanic languages, such as Dutch 'bij' and German 'Biene'. In the social sense (a gathering), it comes from 19th-century American English, possibly from a dialectal use meaning a gathering of neighbors for communal work.