Bengali Family Terms: Why Every Relative Has a Precise Name
Bengali kinship words separate maternal and paternal relatives, and differ between Bangladesh and West Bengal, with a clear guide to each.
Bengali family vocabulary is rich and precise. Rather than "uncle" or "aunt", you use a specific word depending on which side of the family the person belongs to and whether they are older or younger than your parent.
Parents and siblings
- বাবা (baba) — father
- মা (ma) — mother
- ভাই (bhai) — brother
- বোন (bon) — sister
- দাদা (dada) — elder brother (also used respectfully for an older man)
- দিদি (didi) — elder sister
- ছোট ভাই / ছোট বোন — younger brother / sister
Grandparents — regional differences
The words differ between communities and regions:
Bangladesh (commonly):
- দাদা (dada) / দাদি (dadi) — paternal grandfather / grandmother
- নানা (nana) / নানি (nani) — maternal grandfather / grandmother
West Bengal (commonly):
- ঠাকুরদা (thakurda) / ঠাকুমা (thakuma) — paternal grandfather / grandmother
- দাদু (dadu) / দিদা (dida) or দিদিমা (didima) — maternal grandfather / grandmother
Both systems distinguish paternal from maternal, but use different words, and the same word (such as দাদা) can mean different relatives in different places.
Father's side
- কাকা (kaka) — father's younger brother (West Bengal)
- জ্যাঠা (jetha) — father's elder brother (West Bengal)
- পিসি (pishi) — father's sister (West Bengal)
- চাচা (chacha) — father's brother (Bangladesh)
- ফুফু (phupu) — father's sister (Bangladesh)
Mother's side
- মামা (mama) — mother's brother
- মামি (mami) — mother's brother's wife
- মাসি (mashi) — mother's sister (West Bengal)
- খালা (khala) — mother's sister (Bangladesh)
- খালু (khalu) — mother's sister's husband (Bangladesh)
Marriage relatives
- স্বামী (shami) — husband
- স্ত্রী (stri) — wife
- শ্বশুর (shoshur) — father-in-law
- শাশুড়ি (shashuri) — mother-in-law
- বউ (bou) — wife or daughter-in-law, informal
- জামাই (jamai) — son-in-law
- ভাবি / বউদি (bhabi / boudi) — elder brother's wife
Children and cousins
- ছেলে (chhele) — son (also boy)
- মেয়ে (meye) — daughter (also girl)
- নাতি / নাতনি (nati / natni) — grandson / granddaughter
- ভাইপো / ভাইঝি — brother's son / daughter
- ভাগ্নে / ভাগ্নি — sister's son / daughter
- Cousins are often called by the parent's relationship, such as "মামাতো ভাই" (mamato bhai, maternal cousin brother).
Politeness and address
Family terms are often used as respectful address for non-relatives: দাদা for an older man, দিদি for an older woman, কাকু (kaku) for a friendly uncle.
Practice
- Draw your family tree and label it in Bengali.
- Introduce five relatives with a sentence each.
- Note which regional term your family uses.
- Look up unfamiliar terms in a dictionary.
English Bangla Dictionary
Offline English–Bangla dictionary with meanings in proper Bengali script
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