আড্ডা

Addā in Bengali means a long, relaxed conversation among friends—usually held in a public place, often over tea. It's not just chatting; it's a cultural institution.

The word may come from the Persian adda, "a place"—but in Bengali, it became something unique. Adda is intellectual, political, personal.

Kolkata's coffee houses and street corners are famous for adda. The city's intellectual culture was shaped in these conversations.

The word has no perfect English translation. "Hangout" is too casual. "Discussion" is too formal. Adda is a practice, a ritual.