"These people are very old."

Translation: ये लोग बहुत बड़े हैं।

[RebeccaHil924573]

बड़ा isn't usually used for "old" as in "elderly"---बूढ़ा is more correct and specific in this case.

[RajasDaithankar]

बूढा is an absolute term. बडा is a relative term.
If there are two old men, each one of them is बूढा, but the elder of the two is बडा than the other. i.e., when 'comparing ages', you will have to use बडे

[Mark347251]

This is very helpful, and consistent with how they use the two in other sentences -- except in this one. It struck me as odd, which is what sent me here. It's a strange "comparison" to be making, it seems to me.

[RajasDaithankar]

@Mark - yes it does look odd, based on my explanation. But interestingly, when बडा, बडे is used standalone (without two entities being compared), then it acts like an adjective that means old, similar to बूढा, बूढे.

Few other Asian language also have this sort of interesting grammar, e.g. Korean. Though I'm still only learning it, I understand these nuances when I come across them because I know them from Hindi.

[Wikilingo]

I use the absolute term to tease relatively old people xD

[emrys29]

Wrong translation.
ये लोग बहुत बूढ़े हैं। - correct

[Roger423959]

बड़े लोग - Oxford Hindi dictionary defines as 2. noble or influential people, the upper or educated classes 3. senior (in years), elder, adult 4. chief, principal (in rank or standing) senior, upper, high (as a court). Thus in this case 3. applies.

[LandourWalla]

बड़े is used with respect to age for children, not for adults. The sentence in this exercise is entirely inappropriate!

[RajasDaithankar]

बूढा is an absolute term. बडा is a relative term.
If there are two old men, each one of them is बूढा, but the elder of the two is बडा than the other. i.e., when 'comparing ages', you will have to use बडे

[Roger423959]

Paul945074 : Not according to the above definition but maybe in colloquial speech.

[tizerzert]

I have an other problem here, am I the only one who is hearing बड़ा = bara , and not bada? If feel very frustrated

[RajasDaithankar]

@tizerzert - it sounds fine to me. Just to reassure you though, it's not the hard "d" sound but a softer one (hit the roof of the mouth with the bottom portion of the tongue which needs to be slightly rolled). Notice the dot below the Hindi letter, it softens the "d" and makes it sound closer to "r" because of the slight tongue roll.