Family Words in Urdu: Chacha, Mamu, Khala and Every Relative
رشتے داروں کے نام
Updated
English has one word for uncle; Urdu has four, because it says exactly how a relative is related to you: on your father's side or your mother's, older or younger. These words matter in everyday life, because Urdu speakers use them to address relatives, and often family friends too. Here is the whole family, as taught in our course chapter Meet the Family.
Parents and children
You call your parents ammii and abbuu (or ammaañ, abbaa), often with jaan or jii added for affection: ammii jaan, abbaa jii. waalid and waalida are polite words for speaking about parents, especially someone else's. Parents and other older relatives take the respectful plural verb: mere abbuu DaakTar haiñ (my father is a doctor).
| English | Urdu | Roman Urdu |
|---|---|---|
| family (m.) | خاندان | KHaandaan |
| family, the people at home (everyday) (m. pl.) | گھر والے | ghar waale |
| parents (m. pl.) | والدین | waalidain |
| parents (everyday) (m. pl.) | امی ابو / ماں باپ | ammii-abbuu (m. pl.) / maañ-baap |
| father, dad (m.) | ابو / ابا | abbuu / abbaa |
| father (formal) (m.) | والد | waalid |
| mother, mum (f.) | امی / اماں | ammii / ammaañ |
| mother (formal) (f.) | والدہ | waalida |
| mother (f.) | ماں | maañ |
| father (can sound rude) (m.) | باپ | baap |
| son (m.) | بیٹا | beTaa |
| daughter (f.) | بیٹی | beTii |
| child (f.) | بچہ / بچی | bachcha (m.) / bachchii |
| children (m. pl.) | بچے | bachche |
| only child (adj., -aa) | اکلوتا | iklautaa |
Brothers, sisters, husbands and wives
An older sister is often called baajii or aapaa, an older brother bhaa.ii jaan or bhaiyaa; younger siblings are called by name.
| English | Urdu | Roman Urdu |
|---|---|---|
| brother (m.) | بھائی | bhaa.ii |
| sister (f.) | بہن | bahan |
| brothers and sisters, siblings (m. pl.) | بھائی بہن | bhaa.ii-bahan |
| elder sister (address) (f.) | باجی / آپی | baajii / aapii |
| husband (m.) | شوہر | shauhar |
| husband (everyday) (m.) | میاں | miyaañ |
| wife (f.) | بیوی | biiwii |
Grandparents, aunts and uncles
This is where Urdu is most precise. On your father's side: daadaa and daadii (grandparents), chachaa (his younger brother), taayaa (his elder brother) and phuphii (his sister). On your mother's side: naanaa and naanii, maamuuñ (her brother) and KHaala (her sister). Each aunt and uncle's spouse has a word of its own.
| English | Urdu | Roman Urdu |
|---|---|---|
| grandfather (father’s father) (m.) | دادا | daadaa |
| grandmother (father’s mother) (f.) | دادی | daadii |
| grandfather (mother’s father) (m.) | نانا | naanaa |
| grandmother (mother’s mother) (f.) | نانی | naanii |
| uncle (father’s younger brother) (m.) | چچا | chachaa |
| aunt (chachaa’s wife) (f.) | چچی | chachii |
| uncle (father’s elder brother) (m.) | تایا | taayaa |
| aunt (taayaa’s wife) (f.) | تائی | taa.ii |
| aunt (father’s sister) (f.) | پھپھی / پھپھو | phuphii / phuppho |
| uncle (phuphii’s husband) (m.) | پھوپھا | phuuphaa |
| uncle (mother’s brother) (m.) | ماموں | maamuuñ |
| aunt (maamuuñ’s wife) (f.) | ممانی | mumaanii |
| aunt (mother’s sister) (f.) | خالہ | KHaala |
| uncle (KHaala’s husband) (m.) | خالو | KHaaluu |
| cousin (everyday) (m./f.) | کزن | kazan |
In-laws, nephews, nieces and cousins
Cousins are named by the relative they come through: your chachaa's son is your chachaa-zaad bhaa.ii, your KHaala's daughter your KHaala-zaad bahan. In everyday speech many people simply say kazan.
| English | Urdu | Roman Urdu |
|---|---|---|
| mother-in-law | ساس | saas |
| father-in-law | سسر | sasur |
| son-in-law | داماد | daamaad |
| daughter-in-law | بہو | bahuu |
| brother’s wife | بھابھی | bhaabhii |
| sister’s husband | بہنوئی | bahnoii |
| husband’s younger brother | دیور | dewar |
| son’s son / son’s daughter | پوتا / پوتی | potaa / potii |
| daughter’s son / daughter’s daughter | نواسا / نواسی | nawaasaa / nawaasii |
| brother’s son / brother’s daughter | بھتیجا / بھتیجی | bhatiijaa / bhatiijii |
| sister’s son / sister’s daughter | بھانجا / بھانجی | bhaañjaa / bhaañjii |
| paternal uncle’s son / daughter | چچازاد بھائی / بہن | chachaa-zaad bhaa.ii / bahan |
| maternal uncle’s son / daughter | ماموں زاد | maamuuñ-zaad |
| maternal aunt’s son / daughter | خالہ زاد | KHaalaa-zaad |
| paternal aunt’s son / daughter | پھوپھی زاد | phuphii-zaad |
Questions and answers
What is the difference between chacha and mamu?
chachaa (چچا) is your father's younger brother; maamuuñ (ماموں) is your mother's brother. Your father's elder brother is taayaa (تایا).
What is khala in Urdu?
KHaala (خالہ) is your mother's sister. Her husband is KHaaluu (خالو). Your father's sister is phuphii or phuppho (پھپھی / پھپھو).
What is the difference between dada and nana?
daadaa (دادا) is your father's father and naanaa (نانا) your mother's father. Their wives are daadii (دادی) and naanii (نانی).
More guides
- Urdu Greetings and Phrases: How to Say Hello, Thank You and Goodbye · Hello, how are you, my name is, thank you and goodbye, with the etiquette behind them.
- Urdu Numbers 1 to 100: Counting in Urdu with Roman Urdu · Every number from 0 to 100, lakh and crore, ordinals and the everyday fractions.