Hindi/Family relations

Network diagram of kinship terms

Family relation names in Hindi are very specific to the speaker. For example, your father's brother and your mother's brother are not both just "uncle"; you would differentiate and address them using specific terms to indicate the precise relationship. These terms can vary a bit from place to place. The following are some standard examples.

Often the honorific suffix "-जी" is added to names to denote respect. It is very common to use when referring to or especially addressing an older relative, and sometimes for others depending on customs or the situation.

Parents

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father	बाप (bap), पिता (pita), पापा (papa), बाबा (baba), अप्पा (appa), अब्बू (abbu)
Mother	माँ (ma), माता (mata), मम्मा (mamma), अम्मा (amma), मम्मी (mammi), अम्मी (ammi)

Grandparents

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's father (paternal grandfather)	दादा (dada), बाबा (baba)
Father's mother (paternal grandmother)	दादी (dadi)
Mother's father (maternal grandfather)	नाना (nana)
Mother's mother (maternal grandmother)	नानी (nani)

Great-grandparents

In Hindi, the prefix "great-" is given by the prefix "पर-".

There is some ambiguity when talking about great-grandparents because, for example, the term "परदादा" (pardada) can refer to either your father's father's father or your father's mother's father. Therefore, if there is a need to be more specific, spell out the exact family relation in full; e.g. "बाप के बाप के बाप" (bap ke bap ke bap), or "बाप की माँ के बाप" (bap ki ma ke bap).

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Paternal great-grandfather (Father's parent's father)	परदादा (pardada)
Paternal great-grandmother (Father's parent's mother)	परदादी (pardadi)
Maternal great-grandfather (Mother's parent's father)	परनाना (parnana)
Maternal great-grandmother (Mother's parent's mother)	परनानी (parnani)

Siblings & Siblings-in-law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Older brother	बड़ा भाई (bada bhai), भैया (bhaiya)
Younger brother	छोटा भाई (chhota bhai)
Older sister	बड़ी बहन (badi bahan), दीदी (didi), जीजी (jiji)
Younger sister	छोटी बहन (chhoti bahan)
Brother's* wife (sister-in-law)	भाभी (bhabhi), भौजी (bhauji), भौजाई (bhaujai)
Older sister's husband (brother-in-law)	जीजा (jija)
Younger sister's husband (brother-in-law)	बहनोई (bahanoi)
Husband's older brother (brother-in-law)	जेठ (jeth)
Husband's older brother's wife (co-sister-in-law)	जेठानी (jethani)
Husband's younger brother (brother-in-law)	देवर (devar)
Husband's younger brother's wife (co-sister-in-law)	देवरानी (devarani)
Husband's sister* (sister-in-law)	ननद (nanad)
Husband's sister's* husband (co-brother-in-law)	नन्दोई (nandoi)
Wife's brother* (brother-in-law)	साला** (sala), पत्नी का भाई (patni ka bhai)
Wife's brother's* wife (co-sister-in-law)	सलहज (salhaj)
Wife's sister* (sister-in-law)	साली** (sali), पत्नी की बहन (patni ki bahan)
Wife's sister's* husband (co-brother-in-law)	साढ़ू (sarhu)
Child's spouse's father (co-father-in-law)	समधी (samdhi)
Child's spouse's mother (co-mother-in-law)	समधिन (samdhin)

**These two words ("साला" (sala) & "साली" (sali)) are also commonly used as pejoratives, so be careful when using them.

Cousins

There is no direct word for "cousin" in Hindi. If there is a need to be specific when referring to a cousin, then phrases like "uncle's son" or "aunt's daughter" are used. However, in general, they are simply referred to as "brother/sister" ("भाई/बहन").

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's older brother's son	(ताएरा) भाई (taera) bhai
Father's older brother's daughter	(ताएरी) बहन (taeri) bahan
Father's younger brother's son	(चचेरा) भाई (chachera) bhai
Father's younger brother's daughter	(चचेरी) बहन (chacheri) bahan
Father's sister's* son	(फुफेरा) भाई (phuphera) bhai
Father's sister's* daughter	(फुफेरी) बहन (phupheri) bahan
Mother's brother's* son	(ममेरा) भाई (mamera) bhai
Mother's brother's* daughter	(ममेरी) बहन (mameri) bahan
Mother's sister's* son	(मौसेरा) भाई (mausera) bhai
Mother's sister's* daughter	(मौसेरी) बहन (mauseri) bahan

Children & Children-in-law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Son	बेटा (beta), पुत्र (putr)
Daughter	बेटी (beti), पुत्री (putri), जाई (jai)
Son's wife (daughter-in-law)	बहू (bahu)
Daughter's husband (son-in-law)	दामाद (damad), जमाई (jamai)
Brother's son (nephew)	भतीजा (bhatija)
Brother's daughter (niece)	भतीजी (bhatiji)
Sister's son (nephew)	भांजा (bhanja)
Sister's daughter (niece)	भांजी (bhanji)

Grandchildren

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Son's son (grandson)	पोता (pota)
Son's daughter (granddaughter)	पोती (poti)
Daughter's son (grandson)	नाती (nati), नवासा (navasa), दोहता (dohata)
Daughter's daughter (granddaughter)	नातिन (natin), नवासी (navasi), दोहती (dohati)

Spouses & Parents-in-law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Husband	पति (pati)
Wife	पत्नी (patni), बीवी (bivi)
Spouse's father (father-in-law)	ससुर (sasur)
Spouse's mother (mother-in-law)	सास (sas)
Fiancé(e)	मँगेतर (mangetar)

Aunts & Uncles

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's older brother (uncle)	ताया (taya), ताऊ (tau), बड़े पापा (bade papa)
Father's older brother's wife (aunt)	ताई (tai)
Father's younger brother (uncle)	चाचा (chacha), काका (kaka), छोटे पापा (chhote papa)
Father's younger brother's wife (aunt)	चाची (chachi), काकी (kaki), छोटी मम्मी (chhoti mammi)
Father's sister* (aunt)	बुआ (bua), फूफी (phuphi)
Father's sister's* husband (uncle)	फूफा (phupha)
Mother's brother* (uncle)	मामा (mama), मामू (mamu)
Mother's brother's* wife (aunt)	मामी (mami)
Mother's sister* (aunt)	मौसी (mausi)
Mother's sister's* husband (uncle)	मौसा (mausa)

Stepfamily

In Hindi, the prefix "step-" (or "half-") is given by the adjective "सौतेला".

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Stepfather	सौतेले बाप (sautele bap)
Stepmother	सौतेली माँ (sauteli ma)
Stepbrother	सौतेला भाई (sautela bhai)
Stepsister	सौतेली बहन (sauteli bahan)

Notes

*If a particular sibling's name is followed by an asterisk, then it does not matter whether they are older or younger; the Hindi term remains the same.

Further Reading

• McGregor, R.S, The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press. 1993
• Snell, Rupert, Teach yourself Hindi: A complete guide for beginners. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1992. ISBN 0-8442-3863-5