Family words in Tamil
அம்மா, அப்பா, அண்ணன், அக்கா — family, including the elder-younger split.
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Parents anchor everything: அம்மா (ammaa — mother) and அப்பா (appaa — father) — the first words of every Tamil child and the warmest words in the language. அம்மா calls across market crowds; அப்பா advises over evening coffee. Learn them with love, not just memory.
Siblings split by age, never blend: அண்ணன் (elder brother), தம்பி (younger brother), அக்கா (elder sister), தங்கை (younger sister). There is no plain brother — every brother is elder or younger, and the word you choose declares the hierarchy. Ask ages early; address correctly always.
Grandparents rule the roost: தாத்தா (thaaththaa — grandfather) and பாட்டி (paatti — grandmother) — storytellers, sweet-sneakers, family courts of final appeal. பாட்டி கதை (grandmother's tale) is a whole genre; தாத்தா advice ends arguments. Respect flows upward; treats flow down.
The wider net holds daily life: மாமா (uncle), அத்தை (auntie), கணவர் (husband), மனைவி (wife), குடும்பம் (family itself). என் குடும்பம் (my family) introduces them all — practise the sentence with your own names filled in, because you will say it at every Tamil gathering forever.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Tamil | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | அம்மா | ammaa |
| Father | அப்பா | appaa |
| Elder brother | அண்ணன் | annan |
| Elder sister | அக்கா | akkaa |
| Younger brother | தம்பி | thambi |
| Younger sister | தங்கை | thangai |
| Grandfather | தாத்தா | thaaththaa |
| Grandmother | பாட்டி | paatti |
| Uncle | மாமா | maamaa |
| Auntie | அத்தை | aththai |
| Husband | கணவர் | kanavar |
| Wife | மனைவி | manaivi |
| Family | குடும்பம் | kudumbam |
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 Tamil 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
- Grandfather
- 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
- அம்மா ammaa — Mother
- தாத்தா thaaththaa — Grandfather
- குடும்பம் kudumbam — Family
Questions learners ask
Yes — Tamil splits siblings by age: அண்ணன் (elder brother) versus தம்பி (younger brother), அக்கா (elder sister) versus தங்கை (younger sister). Age order is grammar in Tamil families.
அண்ணா (annaa) and அக்கா (akkaa) address any slightly-older man or woman — shopkeepers, colleagues, strangers. It borrows family warmth for the whole world.
உங்கள் குடும்பத்தில் எத்தனை பேர்? (how many people in your family?) — then listen proudly to the answer. Family questions are love in Tamil culture.