Family and relations
What you will learn
- Name the main family members
- Say "my" correctly with mera, meri and mere
- Say how many brothers and sisters you have
- Ask about someone's family and work
English explanation
Section titled “English explanation”Core family words: maa (mother), papa (father), bhai (brother), behen (sister), beta (son), beti (daughter).
Hindi separates grandparents by side, which Tamil does too in other words: dada / dadi are your father’s parents, nana / nani are your mother’s parents.
Saying “my”. The word for “my” changes with the thing you own:
| Thing owned | my | your (aap) | your (tum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | mera bhai | aapka bhai | tumhara bhai |
| feminine singular | meri behen | aapki behen | tumhari behen |
| masculine plural or respect | mere bhai, mere papa | aapke papa | tumhare papa |
The gender is decided by the noun, never by who is speaking. A man also says meri behen, because behen is feminine.
Respect for elders. When you speak about a parent or elder, use plural forms: Meri maa ghar par hain (not hai), and Aapke papa kya karte hain? (not karta hai).
Counting family. Mere do bhai hain (I have two brothers). Hum chaar log hain (We are four people).
முக்கிய உறவுச் சொற்கள்: maa (அம்மா), papa (அப்பா), bhai (சகோதரன்), behen (சகோதரி), beta (மகன்), beti (மகள்). dada/dadi அப்பாவின் பெற்றோர், nana/nani அம்மாவின் பெற்றோர். “என்” என்பதற்கு mera / meri / mere: எது உடமையோ அந்தச் சொல்லின் பாலுக்கு ஏற்ப மாறும், பேசுபவரின் பாலுக்கு அல்ல. பெரியவர்களைப் பற்றிப் பேசும்போது மரியாதைக்காக hain பயன்படுத்துங்கள்: Meri maa ghar par hain.
Vocabulary
| Hindi | Say it | English | Tamil | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| parivaar | pa-ri-VAAR | family | குடும்பம் | |
| maa | MAA | mother | அம்மா | |
| papa | PA-paa | father | அப்பா | |
| bhai | BHAI | brother | சகோதரன் (அண்ணன் / தம்பி) | |
| behen | BE-hen | sister | சகோதரி (அக்கா / தங்கை) | |
| beta | BE-taa | son; also a kind way to address a boy | மகன் | |
| dada | DAA-daa | grandfather (father's father) | தாத்தா (அப்பாவின் அப்பா) | |
| dadi | DAA-dee | grandmother (father's mother) | பாட்டி (அப்பாவின் அம்மா) | |
| nana | NAA-naa | grandfather (mother's father) | தாத்தா (அம்மாவின் அப்பா) | |
| nani | NAA-nee | grandmother (mother's mother) | பாட்டி (அம்மாவின் அம்மா) | |
| log | LOG | people | மக்கள், பேர் | |
| mera M: mera (for a masculine word) F: meri (for a feminine word) | ME-raa | my | என் | |
| tumhara M: tumhara (masculine word) F: tumhari (feminine word) | TUM-haa-raa | your (friendly) | உன் | |
| aapka M: aapka (masculine word) F: aapki (feminine word) | AAP-kaa | your (respectful) | உங்கள் | |
| uska M: uska (masculine word) F: uski (feminine word) | US-kaa | his, her, its | அவனுடைய / அவளுடைய |
Example sentences
Real-life dialogue
Talking about family
Exercises
Say 'This is my mother.'
Show answer
Yeh meri maa hain.
Say 'I have one brother.'
Show answer
Mera ek bhai hai.
Ask 'What does your mother do?' (to an elder)
Show answer
Aapki maa kya karti hain?
Quiz
Quick quiz
1. Which means 'my sister'?
2. Which means 'my brother'?
3. 'Mere do bhai hain' means:
4. In 'meri behen', what decides meri?
Lesson summary
- maa, papa, bhai, behen, beta, beti are the core words.
- Dada and dadi are father's parents. Nana and nani are mother's parents.
- mera (m), meri (f), mere (plural) follow the thing owned, not the owner.
- Aapke ... kya karte hain? asks what someone does for work.