Exploring Gender Agreement and Profanity in Anubhav Singh Bassi’s Dialect
1. Introduction
In this paper, I will explore the linguistic features of Indian stand-up comedian and former
lawyer Anubhav Singh Bassi’s dialect. Growing up, I spoke a formal version of Hindi and
learned British English in school, reflecting the colonial influence in India. My exposure to
American English broadened during my higher studies in California, contrasting sharply with
English usage in my hometown. Additionally, I studied German at the Goethe Institute. Although
Bassi and I hail from the same state, our different lifestyles have markedly influenced our Hindi
dialects. Growing up in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh (a small semi-urban town), influenced his use of a
Hindi dialect that significantly diverges from the Standard Hindi I learned as a child. Bassi
incorporates local slang and colloquial expressions into his Hindi, resonating with a wide Indian
audience. His style, characterized by a casual tone and street-smart expressions, reflects the
linguistic and cultural nuances of North India, especially the middle-class lifestyle in smaller
cities like Meerut compared to Delhi.
2. Grammatical Features
One notable grammatical feature in Hindi that differs from Standard North American English
(SNAE) is the use of grammatical gender. In Hindi, nouns, pronouns, and adjectives must agree
in gender, which is either masculine or feminine. This agreement influences verb conjugation
and the forms of adjectives used in a sentence. This feature is absent in SNAE, where gender
agreement is not required in the same way.
Example 1:
Actual Statement: "यह हमारा नया एक पीजी म
म ले िलया" (Bassi [2], 2:01)
Transliteration: "yah hamara naya ek PG mein room le liya"
Word-by-Word Labelling: "this our new one PG in room take"
Translation: "We took a new room in a PG"
Example 2:
Actual Statement: "यह चमन चूितया अं दर से बोला नही"ं (Bassi [2], 10:01)
Transliteration: "yah chaman chutiya andar se bola nahi"
Word-by-Word Labelling: "this moron idiot inside from said no"
Translation: "This idiot said no from inside"
In Hindi, nouns are either masculine or feminine, affecting the form of associated words like
adjectives and verbs. For instance:

"नया" (naya) is the masculine form of "new," while "नई" (nai) is the feminine form.

"हमारा" (hamara) is the masculine form of "our," and "हमारी" (hamari) is the feminine
form.

In "यह चमन चू ितया अंदर से बोला नही,ं " the verb "बोला" (bola, "said") is masculine.

In "यह चमन चू ितया अंदर से बोली नही,ं " the verb "बोली" (boli, "said") is feminine.
To illustrate gender agreement in the sentence "यह हमारा नया एक पीजी म
म ले िलया," a
morphological tree can show the agreement between the noun, adjective, and pronoun.
Sentence
|
NP
|
Det
NP
|
/ \
यह NP
VP
|
|
Pronoun Adjective
/
\
हमारा (masc) नया (masc)
|
Noun
|
म (masc)
Hindi's grammatical gender system requires alignment in adjectives and verbs with the
noun's gender. Adjectives must match the gender of the nouns they modify, and verbs must agree
with the subject noun's gender.
In Standard North American English (SNAE), gender agreement does not affect verb
conjugation or adjective forms. For example, "new" stays "new" regardless of the noun's gender,
and verbs do not change form based on the subject's gender:

"He is a new student."

"She is a new student."
The adjective "new" and the verb "is" remain unchanged regardless of gender.
Anubhav Singh Bassi’s use of grammatical gender in Hindi highlights a key difference from
SNAE. Gender agreement in nouns, adjectives, and verbs adds complexity to Hindi grammar.
This feature, requiring sentence elements to harmonize based on gender, underscores a
significant syntactic and morphological distinction between Hindi and English. Understanding
this difference is crucial for appreciating the nuances of Hindi and its challenges for English
speakers.
3. Phrase Structure
"Tumhe pata bhi kaise chal raha hai yaha birthmark hai" (Bassi [1], 0:51)
Translation: "How do you even know there is a birthmark here?"
Phrase-Structure Tree:
S
_______|_________
|
VP
|
|
NP
VP
|
______|______
tumhe
|
you
V
|
S
____|____
chal
|
NP
|
VP
|
raha
NP
|
| ____|____
hai
pata Adv
|
|
VP
PP
/ \
bhi kaise P
|
NP
|
yaha birthmark
|
|
here birthmark
In the sentence "tumhe pata bhi kaise chal raha hai yaha birthmark hai" (how do you even
know there is a birthmark here), the structure is as follows: the top-level Sentence (S) contains
the subject noun phrase (NP) "tumhe" (you) and the main verb phrase (VP) "chal raha hai" (do
know). Within the main VP is a subordinate clause (S) "pata bhi kaise chal raha hai yaha
birthmark hai," which contains its own NP "pata" (even) and VP "chal raha hai" (do know).
Additionally, it includes the adverb (Adv) "kaise" (how) and the prepositional phrase (PP) "yaha
birthmark hai" (there is a birthmark here). The preposition (P) "yaha" (here) and the NP
"birthmark" (birthmark) form the PP. This tree illustrates how each component of the sentence is
interconnected, showing the relationships and dependencies between the subject NP "tumhe," the
main VP, and the embedded clause with its constituent parts.
4. Profane and Abusive Language
Anubhav Singh Bassi frequently incorporates profanity into his stand-up comedy routines,
using it to emphasize points and add humor. His use of profane language varies in intensity and
context, drawing from categories like body functions and family relationships. Below are
relevant examples illustrating his use of profanity from his performances, with timestamps
included.
Example 1:
Actual Statement: "ये चमन चू ितया अंदर से बोला नही"ं (Bassi [2], 09:57)
Word-by-Word Labelling: "This moron inside from said no"
Translation: "This idiot said no from inside"
Level of Profanity: "चू ितया" (chutiya) is a highly offensive term derived from the Hindi word for
female genitalia. It is used to call someone an idiot or fool and carries a high level of profanity.
Category: This term falls under the category of body functions, specifically related to sexual
anatomy.
Example 2:
Actual Statement: "ते रा बाप चोद दू ं
ा?" (Bassi [2], 06:02)
Word-by-Word Labelling: "Your father fuck give should?"
Translation: "Should I fuck your father?"
Level of Profanity: "चोद दू ं " (chod doon) is extremely offensive, involving a sexual act and
direct insult aimed at one's family member.
Category: This term falls under the category of sex and is highly profane.
Example 3:
Actual Statement: "बदतमीजी करती थी"(Bassi [2], 20:10)
Word-by-Word Labelling: "Misbehaving was" Translation: "She used to misbehave"
Level of Profanity: "बदतमीजी" (badtameezi) means "misbehavior" and invokes a mild level of
profanity.
Category: This term falls under general abusive language, pointing out someone's improper
behavior.
Example 4:
Actual Statement: "साला हरामी है "(Bassi [3], 15:50)
Word-by-Word Labelling: "Brother-in-law bastard is" Translation: "He is a bastard"
Level of Profanity: "हरामी" (harami) is a strong insult meaning "bastard" and carries a moderate
to high level of profanity.
Category: This term falls under general insults and reflects a high degree of contempt.
Bassi’s use of profane language includes body functions, sexual acts, and general abuse.
Terms like "चू ितया" (chutiya), derived from sexual anatomy, are highly offensive, used to call
someone an idiot. Phrases like "तेरा बाप चोद दू ं " (tera baap chod doon) involve explicit sexual
acts and are deeply insulting. Terms like "हरामी" (harami) and "बदतमीजी" (badtameezi) range
from mild to moderate offensiveness but are still strong insults.
Bassi generally does not censor his profanity, keeping his performances raw and authentic,
aligning with his audience's expectations. This approach makes his humor relatable and
engaging. His profanity reflects cross-linguistic tendencies, drawing from body functions, sexual
acts, and relationships, similar to many other languages where taboo topics are common sources
of profanity.
Terms like "चू ितया" (chutiya) and "ते रा बाप चोद दू ं " (tera baap chod doon) are typically used
by men and might be considered inappropriate for women, especially in conservative settings.
Younger audiences and peers are more likely to accept such language, while older or more
formal audiences might find it offensive. Bassi's target demographic is primarily younger, more
liberal viewers.
Bassi’s strategic use of profanity ranges from mild to highly offensive, enhancing his
comedic effect. The lack of censorship and alignment with cross-linguistic tendencies make his
performances relatable and engaging to younger viewers. This use of profanity adds authenticity
and relatability to his humor, reflecting candid conversations among friends.
5. References
[1] Anubhav Singh Bassi. (2019, June 12). Waxing - Stand Up Comedy [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12bz7adLKI
[2] Anubhav Singh Bassi. (2021, April 15). Roommate - Stand Up Comedy [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkxuFKqJXWY
[3] Anubhav Singh Bassi. (2023, July 15). UPSC - Stand Up Comedy [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEfBBYmxtIo&t=924s