Family Members and Relationships

This unit introduces kinship terms and family relationships in Bengali. You will learn how to refer to parents, siblings, and extended family members, and how to use possessive constructions with -r/-er. These expressions are essential for social conversation and for understanding family structures in Bengali-speaking contexts, including diplomatic and cultural exchanges.

Basic Sentences

Bengali (romanized)	English
Aamar baba Dhaka-te thaken.	My father lives in Dhaka.
Aamar ma gharer kaj koren.	My mother does housework.
Aamar dui jon bhai achhe.	I have two brothers.
Aamar ek jon bon achhe.	I have one sister.
Apnar poribare koy jon achhen?	How many people are in your family?
Eta aamar chacha-r bari.	This is my uncle’s house.
Aamar mama Kolkata-te thaken.	My maternal uncle lives in Kolkata.
Apnar baba-r naam ki?	What is your father’s name?
Aamar bhai-r naam Rahim.	My brother’s name is Rahim.
Apnar ma kemon achhen?	How is your mother?

Key Vocabulary

Bengali	English
baba	father
ma	mother
bhai	brother
bon	sister
chacha	paternal uncle
mama	maternal uncle
chachi	paternal aunt (wife of chacha)
mami	maternal aunt (wife of mama)
dada	paternal grandfather; elder brother
dadi	paternal grandmother
nana	maternal grandfather
nani	maternal grandmother
poribar	family
jon	person (counter)
naam	name
ghar	house, home
kaj	work
thaken	they/you (formal) live
koy	how many

Grammar Notes

Kinship Terms

Bengali kinship terms distinguish between paternal and maternal relatives. Baba (father) and ma (mother) are used for parents. Chacha is paternal uncle; mama is maternal uncle. Dada can mean paternal grandfather or elder brother depending on context; dadi is paternal grandmother. Nana and nani are maternal grandparents.

Gendered Family Terms

Many kinship terms are inherently gendered: baba (father), ma (mother), bhai (brother), bon (sister). For in-laws and spouses: shami (husband), stri or bou (wife). The term jon is used as a counter for people: dui jon bhai (two brothers), ek jon bon (one sister).

Possessive Constructions (-r/-er)

The possessive suffix -r (or -er after vowels) attaches to the possessor and precedes the possessed noun. Examples: baba-r naam (father’s name), ma-er ghar (mother’s house), Rahim-er bhai (Rahim’s brother). After words ending in consonants, use -er: poribar-er (of the family).

Questions About Family

To ask “How many people are in your family?” use Apnar poribare koy jon achhen? The structure is: Apnar (your) + poribare (in family) + koy jon (how many people) + achhen (are). To ask about someone’s name: Apnar baba-r naam ki? (What is your father’s name?).

Drills

Drill 1: Possessive Forms

Base	Possessive	Example
baba	baba-r	baba-r naam
ma	ma-er	ma-er ghar
bhai	bhai-r	bhai-r kaj
chacha	chacha-r	chacha-r bari

Drill 2: Family Member Substitution

Bengali	English
Aamar baba Dhaka-te thaken.	My father lives in Dhaka.
Aamar ma Dhaka-te thaken.	My mother lives in Dhaka.
Aamar chacha Dhaka-te thaken.	My uncle lives in Dhaka.
Aamar mama Kolkata-te thaken.	My maternal uncle lives in Kolkata.

Drill 3: Counting Family Members

Bengali	English
Aamar ek jon bhai achhe.	I have one brother.
Aamar dui jon bhai achhe.	I have two brothers.
Aamar tin jon bon achhe.	I have three sisters.
Apnar poribare koy jon achhen?	How many people are in your family?

Drill 4: Questions About Family

Question	Response
Apnar baba-r naam ki?	Aamar baba-r naam Karim.
Apnar ma kemon achhen?	Bhalo achhen.
Apnar koy jon bhai achhe?	Aamar dui jon bhai achhe.
Apnar chacha kothay thaken?	Dhaka-te thaken.

Narrative

Aamar poribare paanch jon achhe. Aamar baba, ma, dui jon bhai, aar aamar bon. Aamar baba-r naam Abdul. Aamar ma-r naam Fatema. Aamar bhai-der naam Rahim aar Karim. Aamar bon-er naam Ayesha. Aamra shobai Dhaka-te thaki. Aamar chacha Kolkata-te thaken. Aamar mama-r bari Sylhet-e. Aami poribar niye bhalo achhi.

There are five people in my family. My father, mother, two brothers, and my sister. My father’s name is Abdul. My mother’s name is Fatema. My brothers’ names are Rahim and Karim. My sister’s name is Ayesha. We all live in Dhaka. My uncle lives in Kolkata. My maternal uncle’s house is in Sylhet. I am well with my family.