Relations and address
What do I call this relative?
Type the relation - 'mama ko srimati', 'mother's brother' or 'maiju' - in either language, any spelling. The word, its meaning and the relation appear at once; leave the field empty to read the whole glossary by side.
Ancestors
- बुबाbubafather
your father
- आमाaamamother
your mother
- हजुरबुबाhajurbubagrandfather
father's or mother's father
The same word on both sides; baje in everyday speech.
- हजुरआमाhajuraamagrandmother
father's or mother's mother
The same word on both sides; bajyai in everyday speech.
- जिजुबुबाjijububagreat-grandfather
grandfather's father
- जिजुआमाjijuaamagreat-grandmother
grandfather's mother
- पुर्खाpurkhaancestor
everyone above the great-grandparents
Descendants
- छोराchhorason
your son
- छोरीchhoridaughter
your daughter
- बुहारीbuharidaughter-in-law
son's wife
A younger brother's wife is also buhari (bhai-buhari).
- ज्वाइँjwainson-in-law
daughter's husband
A younger sister's husband is also jwain (bahini-jwain).
- नातिnatigrandson
son's or daughter's son
- नातिनीnatinigranddaughter
son's or daughter's daughter
- नातिबुहारीnatibuharigrandson's wife
grandson's wife
- नातिज्वाइँnatijwaingranddaughter's husband
granddaughter's husband
- पनातिpanatigreat-grandson
grandson's son
- पनातिनीpanatinigreat-granddaughter
grandson's daughter
- जनातिjanatigreat-great-grandson
great-grandson's son
The generation after is khanati.
- सम्धीsamdhichild's father-in-law
your son's or daughter's father-in-law
- सम्धिनीsamdhinichild's mother-in-law
your son's or daughter's mother-in-law
Brothers and sisters
- दाजुdajuelder brother
elder brother
- भाइbhaiyounger brother
younger brother
- दिदीdidielder sister
elder sister
- बहिनीbahiniyounger sister
younger sister
- भाउजूbhaujuelder brother's wife
elder brother's wife
- भाइबुहारीbhaibuhariyounger brother's wife
younger brother's wife
- भिनाजुbhinajuelder sister's husband
elder sister's husband
- बहिनीज्वाइँbahinijwainyounger sister's husband
younger sister's husband
- भतिजाbhatijabrother's son
brother's son
Bhatija when a man is speaking; a woman says bhada.
- भतिजीbhatijibrother's daughter
brother's daughter
Bhatiji when a man is speaking; a woman says bhadai.
- भदाbhadabrother's son (a woman speaking)
brother's son, when a woman is speaking
- भदैbhadaibrother's daughter (a woman speaking)
brother's daughter, when a woman is speaking
- भान्जाbhanjasister's son
sister's son
When a man is speaking; a woman calls her sister's children chhora and chhori, as her own.
- भान्जीbhanjisister's daughter
sister's daughter
- दाजुभाइ, दिदीबहिनीdaju-bhai, didi-bahinicousins
the children of any uncle or aunt
Nepali has no separate word for a cousin: they are addressed as elder or younger brother or sister by age, and introduced as 'kaka's son' or 'mama's daughter'.
Father's side
- ठूलोबुबाthulobubafather's elder brother
father's elder brother
By birth order also jetha-buba, maila-buba, saila-buba.
- ठूलीआमाthuliaamafather's elder brother's wife
father's elder brother's wife
Mother's elder sister is also thuli-aama.
- काकाkakafather's younger brother
father's younger brother
By birth order also maila-buba, kanchha-buba.
- काकीkakifather's younger brother's wife
father's younger brother's wife
- फुपूphupufather's sister
father's sister
- फुपाजुphupajufather's sister's husband
father's sister's husband
- ठूलोहजुरबुबाthulohajurbubagrandfather's elder brother
grandfather's elder brother
Grandfather's younger brother is kanchha-hajurbuba; their wives jethi- or kanchhi-hajuraama.
Mother's side
- मामाmamamother's brother
mother's brother
- माइजूmaijumother's brother's wife
mother's brother's wife
Some families say mami.
- ठूलीआमाthuliaamamother's elder sister
mother's elder sister
- सानीआमाsaniaamamother's younger sister
mother's younger sister
- ठूलोबुबाthulobubamother's elder sister's husband
mother's elder sister's husband
- सानोबुबाsanobubamother's younger sister's husband
mother's younger sister's husband
- मावलीmawalimother's parental home
mother's parental home and family
Wife's side - a man speaking
- श्रीमतीsrimatiwife
your wife
- ससुराsasurafather-in-law
spouse's father
The same word whether a man or a woman is speaking.
- सासूsasumother-in-law
spouse's mother
The same word whether a man or a woman is speaking.
- जेठानjethanwife's elder brother
wife's elder brother
- सालाsalawife's younger brother
wife's younger brother
- जेठीसासूjethisasuwife's elder sister
wife's elder sister
- सालीsaliwife's younger sister
wife's younger sister
- साढुsadhuwife's sister's husband
wife's sister's husband
Sadhu-dai or sadhu-bhai by age.
Husband's side - a woman speaking
- श्रीमान्srimanhusband
your husband
- जेठाजुjethajuhusband's elder brother
husband's elder brother
- जेठानीjethanihusband's elder brother's wife
husband's elder brother's wife
- देवरdewarhusband's younger brother
husband's younger brother
- देउरानीdeuranihusband's younger brother's wife
husband's younger brother's wife
- आमाजूaamajuhusband's elder sister
husband's elder sister
- नन्दnandahusband's younger sister
husband's younger sister
From jetho to kancho
When several relatives share one word, birth order tells them apart: jetha-buba, maila-buba, kanchha-buba; jethi-aama, maili-aama, kanchhi-aama.
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| जेठो | जेठी | jetho / jethieldest |
| माइलो | माइली | mailo / mailisecond |
| साइलो | साइली | sailo / sailithird |
| काइलो | काइली | kailo / kailifourth |
| राइलो | राइली | railo / railififth |
| ठाइलो | ठाइली | thailo / thailisixth |
| कान्छो | कान्छी | kancho / kanchiyoungest |
In the app, the relation names itself
Tap anyone in your tree in the Bamsawali app and see your full relation and what to call them - however far apart you are.
About this list
The words are Khas-Nepali (Pahadi) usage and match the vocabulary the Bamsawali app uses to name relations. Families and regions differ - your own household's custom has the last word.