Bengali Family Words: Mother, Father, Brother and the Rest
Bengali family words are more precise than English ones. There is no single word for uncle or aunt or cousin — which side of the family they are on, and whether they are older or younger than your parent, all change the word. This is the part that trips up second-generation speakers most.
| English | Bengali | In English letters |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | মা | ma |
| Father | বাবা | baba |
| Older brotheralso dada in West Bengal | বড় ভাই | boro bhai |
| Younger brother | ছোট ভাই | chhoto bhai |
| Older sisteralso didi | বড় বোন | boro bon |
| Younger sister | ছোট বোন | chhoto bon |
| Son | ছেলে | chhele |
| Daughter | মেয়ে | meye |
| Husband | স্বামী | shami |
| Wife | স্ত্রী | stri |
| Father's older brotherjetha is the older one | চাচা / জেঠা | chacha / jetha |
| Father's younger brother | চাচা | chacha |
| Mother's brothernever chacha | মামা | mama |
| Father's sisterpishi in West Bengal | ফুফু | phuphu |
| Mother's sistermashi in West Bengal | খালা | khala |
| Grandfather (father's side) | দাদা | dada |
| Grandmother (father's side) | দাদি | dadi |
| Grandfather (mother's side) | নানা | nana |
| Grandmother (mother's side) | নানি | nani |
What a phrasebook will not tell you
Mother's side and father's side are different words
Your father's brother is chacha; your mother's brother is mama. They are not interchangeable, and calling a mama 'chacha' is the mistake that makes a Bangladeshi relative smile. The same split runs through grandparents: dada and dadi are your father's parents, nana and nani your mother's. English collapses all of this into grandfather and uncle; Bengali does not.
Older and younger are marked too
Boro means older and chhoto younger, and they attach to brother, sister and often to uncles. A Bangladeshi asked about their brother will usually say boro bhai or chhoto bhai rather than just bhai, because the age relation is part of the information.
Bangladesh and West Bengal use different words
Bangladeshi Muslims mostly use chacha, mama, khala, phuphu, nana, nani. West Bengali Hindus mostly use kaka, mama, mashi, pishi, dadu, thakuma. Both are Bengali; which set you hear depends on where the family is from. If you are learning for a particular family, learn theirs.
These words are used for people who are not relatives
Bengali speakers address strangers by family terms constantly. A shopkeeper your father's age is chacha, a woman your mother's age is khala or aunty, someone slightly older is bhai or apu. Using them is warm and normal; using nothing at all sounds cold.
Questions
How do you say mother and father in Bengali?
Ma (মা) and baba (বাবা). Ammu and abbu are also very common in Bangladeshi Muslim families.
What is the difference between chacha and mama?
Chacha is your father's brother; mama is your mother's brother. They are separate words and are not used interchangeably.
What do I call an older stranger?
Bhai or apu for someone a little older, chacha or khala for someone your parents' age. Bengali uses family words for strangers as a matter of course.
Why do West Bengalis use different words?
Regional and community usage. Kaka, mashi, pishi and thakuma are the West Bengali equivalents of chacha, khala, phuphu and dadi. Both are correct Bengali.