10.1 Family Relations

Hindi has special words for each specific family relationship.  For example there are five words for “uncle” reflecting the five different kinds of uncle:

1. your mother’s brother

2. your mother’s sister’s husband

3. your father’s older brother

4. your father’s younger brother

5. your father’s sister’s husband

Here is a set of charts to help you learn the different relationship names.  Refer to the Culture Notes for additional information.

Parents:

We have two expressions for “parents” in Hindi:

माँ-बाप and माता-पिता

You can’t mix these expressions and say माँ-पिता or माता-बाप . Also, always put mom first!!

See Snell’s Teach Yourself Hindi (2000) Section