Hindi/Family relations

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 elder, and sometimes for others depending on customs or the situation.

The transliteration is in Template:W form, which allows for exact mapping of Devanagari characters to the Roman script.

Grandparents

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's father	दादा or बाबा
Father's mother	दादी
Mother's father	नाना
Mother's mother	नानी

Parents

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Mother	माँ , माता , अम्मा, मम्मा , मम्मी , अम्मी
Father	पापा , पिता , बाबा , अप्पा

Siblings, Cousins, and Siblings-in-Law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Brother	भाई
Elder Brother	भैया, भइया, बड़ा भाई
Younger Brother	छोटा भाई
Sister	बहन, बेहेन, बहिन
Elder Sister	दीदी, बड़ी बेहेन, बड़ी बहन, बड़ी बहिन
Younger Sister	छोटी बेहेन, छोटी बहन, छोटी बहिन
Husband's sister	ननद
Father's sister	बुआ
Elder Sister's husband	जीजा
Younger Sister's husband	बहनोई
Husband's elder brother(brother-in-law)	जेठ
Husband's younger brother	देवर
Elder brother's wife	भाभी, भौजी, भौजाई
Younger brother's wife	भयो
Wife's Sister	साली
Wife's elder Brother	भाई साहब
Wife's younger Brother	साला
Wife's Brother's wife	सहलज
Husband's Sister's Husband	नन्दोई
Wife's sister's husband	साढ़ू or हमज़ुल्फ़
Husband's elder brother's wife	जेठानी
Husband's younger brother's wife	देवरानी

Note: There is no direct word for 'cousin' in Hindi, rather phrases like uncle's/aunt's son/daughter, are used to regard a cousin when there is a need to be specific, if not, then simply they are regarded as just brother/sister (भाईबहन).

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's brother's son (cousin)	(चचेरा) भाई
Father's brother's daughter (cousin)	(चचेरी) बहन
Father's sister's son (cousin)	(फुफेरा) भाई
Father's sister's daughter (cousin)	(फुफेरी) बहन
Mother's brother's son (cousin)	(ममेरा) भाई
Mother's brother's daughter (cousin)	(ममेरी) बहन
Mother's sister's son (cousin)	(मौसेरा) भाई
Mother's sister's daughter (cousin)	(मौसेरी) बहन

Children and Children-in-Law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Son	बेटा or पुत्र
Daughter	बेटी, पुत्री or जाई
Son's Wife	बहू
Daugther's Husband	दामाद or जमाई

Grandchildren

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Son's son (grandson)	पोता
Son's daughter (granddaughter)	पोती
Daughter's son (grandson)	नाती, नवासा or दोहता
Daugther's daughter (granddaughter)	नातिन, नवासी or दोहती

Spouses and parents-in-law

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Husband	पति
Wife	पत्नी or बीवी
Spouses' Mother (Mother-in-law)	सास
Spouse's Father (Father-in-law))	ससुर
Fiancé or Fiancée	मंगेतर

Aunts and uncles

Relation in English	Relation in Hindi
Father's younger brother (uncle)	चाचा, काका or छोटे पापा
Father's younger brother's wife (aunt)	चाची, काकी or छोटी मम्मी
Father's elder brother's (Uncle)	ताया, ताऊ or बड़े पापा
Father's elder brother's wife (Aunt)	ताई or बड़ी मम्मी
Father's sister (aunt)	बुआ, फूफी
Father's sister's husband	फूफा
Mother's brother	मामा or मामू
Mother's brother's wife	मामी or माई
Mother's younger sister	मौसी, मासी
Mother's younger sister's husband	मौसा
Mother's elder sister's husband (Uncle)	ताया or ताऊ
Mother's elder sister (Aunt)	ताई

Bengali family relations

Bengali family relationship (Bengali words written in English)

• Father: Baabaa, baabaa moshai
• Mother: Maan, maataa
• Father’s father: Daadu, daadu moshai
• Father’s mother: Thakumaa, deedaa,
• Father’s younger brother: Kaaku, kaakaa moshai, kaakaai
• Father’s younger brother’s wife: Kaaki maan, kaaki, kaakimoni, kammaa
• Father’s elder brother: Jaitha moshai, jethu, jethimoni
• Father’s elder brother’s wife: Jethi maan, jethi
• Father’s sister: Pishi maan, pishimoni, pishi
• Father’s sister’s husband: Pishu, pishu moshai
• Your elder sister: Didi
• Your elder brother: Dada
• Your husband’s younger brother: Thakurpow, Thaahurpow
• Your younger brother: Chhuto bhai
• Your younger sister: Chhuto bown
• Your wife’s brother: Shaalaa
• Your wife’s sister: Shaalee
• Your son: Chhelle
• Your son’s wife: Bow maan
• Your grandson/granddaughter: Naati
• Your wife: Bow
• Your husband: Shwami
• Your mother-in-law: Shashuri (You can call her as maan)
• Your father-in-law: Shashur (You can call him as baabaa)
• Your daughter: May
• Your daughter’s husband: Jamaaii baabuu, jaamaai baabaa
• Your brother’s/sister’s son: Bhaipow
• Your brother’s/sister’s daughter: Bhaijhi
• Your elder brother’s wife: Bowdi, bowthan
• Your sister’s wife: Jeejoo
• Mother’s father: Daadu
• Mother’s mother: Deedaa, didi maan
• Mother’s brother: Maamaa, maamoo
• Mother’s brother’s wife: Maamii
• Mother’s sister: Maashi, maashimoni, maashi maan
• Mother’s sister’s husband: Meshoe

References

• McGregor, R.S, ed. 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