Hindi relationship names
Every rishta has its own word: which side, who is older, and through whom. Here is the whole set, with what each one means.
A vanshavali (वंशावली) is only as good as its rishtas. English makes do with “uncle”, “aunt” and “cousin”. Hindi does not: your father’s elder brother is tau, his younger brother chacha, your mother’s brother mama, and your mausi’s daughter is your mauseri behen, a sister. The name tells you the route through the family. That is why a family tree drawn for an Indian family should know these words, not just “uncle”.
Bargad works them out from the tree itself. Choose Hindi in your settings and every card is labelled from where you stand: your father’s elder brother reads Tau, his wife Tai, their son Chachera bhai. Someone else opening the same tree sees the names they use. Start your own tree to see it on your family, no account needed. Not sure what to call someone? Try the relationship calculator: pick the route (mother’s brother’s son) and get the Hindi and English name.
Brothers and sisters
Hindi says who is older. A younger brother calls the elder one bhaiya; the elder calls him by name.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| bhaiya | भैया | elder brother |
| chhota bhai | छोटा भाई | younger brother |
| bhai | भाई | brother |
| didi | दीदी | elder sister |
| chhoti behen | छोटी बहन | younger sister |
| behen | बहन | sister |
Grandparents
Father’s parents and mother’s parents have different names, so “grandmother” is never ambiguous.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| dada | दादा | father’s father |
| dadi | दादी | father’s mother |
| nana | नाना | mother’s father |
| nani | नानी | mother’s mother |
| pardada | परदादा | father’s grandfather |
| pardadi | परदादी | father’s grandmother |
| parnana | परनाना | mother’s grandfather |
| parnani | परनानी | mother’s grandmother |
Father’s side
The father’s elder brother is tau, the younger is chacha; each wife has her own word too.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| tau | ताऊ | father’s elder brother |
| tai | ताई | father’s elder brother’s wife |
| chacha | चाचा | father’s brother |
| chachi | चाची | father’s brother’s wife |
| bua | बुआ | father’s sister |
| phupha | फूफा | father’s sister’s husband |
Mother’s side
The mother’s brother is mama whether elder or younger; her sister is mausi.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| mama | मामा | mother’s brother |
| mami | मामी | mother’s brother’s wife |
| mausi | मौसी | mother’s sister |
| mausa | मौसा | mother’s sister’s husband |
Cousins
A cousin’s name says which aunt or uncle they come through, and every cousin is a brother or a sister.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| chachera bhai | चचेरा भाई | cousin, father’s brother’s son |
| chacheri behen | चचेरी बहन | cousin, father’s brother’s daughter |
| phuphera bhai | फुफेरा भाई | cousin, father’s sister’s son |
| phupheri behen | फुफेरी बहन | cousin, father’s sister’s daughter |
| mamera bhai | ममेरा भाई | cousin, mother’s brother’s son |
| mameri behen | ममेरी बहन | cousin, mother’s brother’s daughter |
| mausera bhai | मौसेरा भाई | cousin, mother’s sister’s son |
| mauseri behen | मौसेरी बहन | cousin, mother’s sister’s daughter |
Nieces and nephews
Through a brother or through a sister.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| bhatija | भतीजा | brother’s son |
| bhatiji | भतीजी | brother’s daughter |
| bhanja | भांजा | sister’s son |
| bhanji | भांजी | sister’s daughter |
In-laws
A wife’s family and a husband’s family each have a full set, and the husband’s brothers are named by age.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| bhabhi | भाभी | brother’s wife |
| jija | जीजा | sister’s husband |
| sasur | ससुर | father-in-law |
| saas | सास | mother-in-law |
| jeth | जेठ | husband’s elder brother |
| jethani | जेठानी | husband’s elder brother’s wife |
| devar | देवर | husband’s younger brother |
| devrani | देवरानी | husband’s younger brother’s wife |
| nanad | ननद | husband’s sister |
| nandoi | नंदोई | husband’s sister’s husband |
| saala | साला | wife’s brother |
| salhaj | सलहज | wife’s brother’s wife |
| saali | साली | wife’s sister |
| saadhu | साढ़ू | wife’s sister’s husband |
| damad | दामाद | son-in-law |
| bahu | बहू | daughter-in-law |
| samdhi | समधी | child’s father-in-law |
| samdhan | समधन | child’s mother-in-law |
Grandchildren
Through a son or through a daughter.
| Hindi | In Devanagari | Who that is |
|---|---|---|
| pota | पोता | son’s son |
| poti | पोती | son’s daughter |
| nati | नाती | daughter’s son |
| natin | नातिन | daughter’s daughter |
Where the words stop
Parents, children, husbands, wives and step-relations keep their English names on a card, because Hindi adds nothing there. Relatives further out (a tau’s grandson, a bua’s husband’s brother) are described in English words, with the route spelled out, the same way a family would explain it.
Spellings vary by region and family (mausi or masi, phupha or phuphaji, bhabhi or bhabi); Bargad uses the plain Hindi forms above.
See the words on a family you know
The Mahabharata family tree answers in the same words: Duryodhana is Arjuna’s chachera bhai, Krishna is Abhimanyu’s mama. So do the Kapoor family tree and the Nehru–Gandhi family tree.