Family words: the Bengali paribar
মা, বাবা, দাদা, দিদি — family words you will use daily, with relatives and strangers alike.
🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear Learn Bengali spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.
Start at the centre: মা (ma — mother), বাবা (baba — father), দাদা (dada — elder brother), দিদি (didi — elder sister), ভাই (bhai — younger brother), বোন (bon — younger sister). Bengali sorts siblings by age, not just gender — দাদা versus ভাই is about who is older, and getting it right signals that you see the family the way it sees itself.
Then come the sides. Father's side: কাকা (kaka — uncle) and কাকিমা (kakima — aunt). Mother's side: মামা (mama — uncle) and মামি (mami — aunt). Father's sister is পিসি (pishi); mother's sister is মাসি (mashi). Four different aunties and uncles where English has two — learn them as pairs and they stick fast.
Here is the secret that makes family words the most useful vocabulary in Bengali: দাদা and দিদি escape the family entirely. The tea-stall owner is দাদা, the colleague is দিদি, the helpful stranger becomes কাকা within minutes. Bengali turns transactions into relationships by promoting everyone to family — join in, and prices soften and smiles widen.
Grandparents complete the picture: দাদু (dadu) and ঠাকুমা (thakuma) on one side, নানা (nana) and দিদিমা (didima) on the other, with exact sides varying by family. And children: ছেলে (chhele — boy/son) and মেয়ে (meye — girl/daughter), plus বাচ্চা (bachcha — small child) for the little ones who will correct your pronunciation without mercy.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Bengali | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | মা | ma |
| Father | বাবা | baba |
| Elder brother (also: respectful sir) | দাদা | dada |
| Elder sister (also: respectful ma'am) | দিদি | didi |
| Younger brother | ভাই | bhai |
| Younger sister | বোন | bon |
| Father's brother | কাকা | kaka |
| Mother's brother | মামা | mama |
| Father's sister | পিসি | pishi |
| Mother's sister | মাসি | mashi |
| Boy / son | ছেলে | chhele |
| Girl / daughter | মেয়ে | meye |
| Family | পরিবার | poribar |
Language, culture, and common traps
Practice: recall, then use
Use this quick recall drill for Family words. Hide the script and romanisation columns; say the Bengali form for each cue before revealing its row, then check spelling and sound. The phrase-table speaker buttons provide a model when a matching browser voice is available.
- Mother
- Father's brother
- Family
Context check. For Family words, “Family” belongs to a particular setting. A common mistake is to treat an English gloss as universal; read the language-specific note above and ask a fluent speaker when local usage differs.
Check your recall: answer key
- মা ma — Mother
- কাকা kaka — Father's brother
- পরিবার poribar — Family
Questions learners ask
Yes — দাদা (older brother) and দিদি (older sister) are the default respectful address for anyone slightly older, related or not. Shopkeepers, auto drivers, colleagues: দাদা and দিদি warm every interaction in Bengal.
A কাকা is your father's brother; a মামা is your mother's brother. Bengali keeps the two sides of the family strictly separate, and mixing them up is the classic learner slip — when in doubt, ask কার ভাই? (whose brother?) and smile.
Both exist, with দাদু leaning paternal and নানা leaning maternal in many families — but usage varies by family, so copy whatever the grandchildren say. Nobody grades you on grandparents.