Family relationships in India have always secured an exalted position. From the youngest to the oldest family members, every person is expected to be a part nurturing and weaving of family culture. If you are planning to visit the knowledge state of India, Kerala, anytime soon, you should not overlook the importance of acquainting yourself with some Malayalam vocabulary for family. Knowing them will help you receive a warm welcome and cordial response from the locals, proffering a wonderful lifetime experience.
To give you a head start, here are some കുടുംബം or family common words for you: അമ്മ (mother) and അച്ഛൻ (father). Seems fascinating and unique from English words, right? As you move ahead, you will only discover more of the charming nature of the Malayalam language and literature. If you are interested in proceeding further, let’s not waste any more time and get right into it.
The Malayalam Language Of The Indian State
Before we start with words and translation, we need to get familiar with the glory of the Malayalam language and behold its beautiful origin. The term “Malayalam” has a distinct meaning which says “hill” for “Malay” and “depths of the ocean” for “Alam.” So, the word Malayalam refers to the land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is the original language of the state of Kerala, located in the Southern part of India. It is also known by Kerala Bhasha, Malayazhma, and many others in Kerala.
The origin of the Malayalam language can be traced to the Sanskrit language. Some scholars also believe that the Malayalam script developed from the Ancient Prakrit. However, in modern times, scholars in unison include the Malayalam language amongst the Dakshina Dravidian language family, Tamil, Kotha, Kannada, Kodak, and Todak. Tamil and Malayalam had a common root at some juncture, and Malayalam as an independent language got its birth in the 9th century.
Malayalam Family Words
Whenever you visit a Malayalam family in Kerala, you will hear many Malayalam words that can bewilder your thoughts. To make it more comfortable and welcoming, we have gathered some common family-related Malayalam words that you can refer to with friends and family relationships. Let us start with a few translations of family words to help you describe special members in a relationship.
| English Translation | Malayalam Vocabulary | Pronunciation |
| Mother | അമ്മ | am’ma |
| Father | അച്ഛൻ | acchan |
| Daughter | മകൾ | makaḷ |
| Son | മകൻ | makan |
| Sister | സഹോദരി | sahēādari |
| Brother | സഹോദരൻ | sahēādaran |
| Grandmother | മുത്തശ്ശി | muttaśśi |
| Grandfather | മുത്തച്ഛൻ | muttacchan |
| Uncle | അമ്മാവൻ | am’māvan |
| Aunt | അമ്മായി | am’māyi |
Basic Malayalam Vocabulary For Family
People in India hold family relations, be it relatives, wife, brother, children, son, sister, or even far connected cousins, very close to their hearts. Like other family traditions in western countries, Indian families do not expect their family members to move out once they have gained adulthood at 18. In fact, the sons are expected to live with their family members even after they get married and settle with them under the same roof. It is not only in Kerala but in every corner of India. It is a societal norm that every family member respects.
Here are some more family words with easy pronunciation to help you learn Malayalam better. For your information, people in Kerala like to be regarded with their names along with the family tags. These familiar words will help you get through every situation and make more robust bonds with the locals. Not to mention, you will impress them too.
| English | Malayalam | Pronunciation |
| Nephew | മരുമകൻ | marumakan |
| Niece | മരുമകൾ | marumakaḷ |
| Husband | ഭർത്താവ് | bharttāv |
| Wife | ഭാര്യ | bhārya |
| Spouse | ഇണ | iṇa |
| Siblings | സഹോദരങ്ങൾ | sahēādaraṅṅaḷ |
| Grandson | പേരക്കുട്ടി | pērakkuṭṭi |
| Granddaughter | കൊച്ചുമകൾ | keāccumakaḷ |
| Father-in-law | ഭാര്യാപിതാവ് | bhāryāpitāv |
| Sister-in-law | മരുമകൾ | marumakaḷ |
| Mother-in-law | അമ്മായിയമ്മ | am’māyiyam’ma |
| Brother-in-law | അളിയൻ | aḷiyan |
| Daughter-in-law | മരുമകൾ | marumakaḷ |
| Son-in-law | മരുമകൻ | marumakan |
| Lover | കാമുകൻ | kāmukan |
| Friend | സുഹൃത്ത് | suhr̥tt |
| Stepfather | രണ്ടാനച്ഛൻ | raṇṭānacchan |
| Stepmother | രണ്ടാനമ്മ | raṇṭānam’ma |
| Mistress | യജമാനത്തി | yajamānatti |
| Guest | അതിഥി | atithi |
Basic Malayalam Phrases
Now that you know some of the essential family vocabularies, let us try out day-to-day phrases and sentences to help you learn Malayalam and speak the language fluently. Knowing these Malayalam phrases is the next step to creating a good atmosphere among friends and family members in Kerala. If you are interested, let’s get started.
| English Translation | Malayalam | Pronunciation |
| How is you mohter? | അമ്മേ നിനക്ക് സുഖമാണോ? | am’mē ninakk sukhamāṇēā? |
| My father’s name is… | എന്റെ അച്ഛന്റെ പേര്… | enṟe acchanṟe pēr… |
| I like your brother | എനിക്ക് നിങ്ങളുടെ സഹോദരനെ ഇഷ്ടമാണ് | enikk niṅṅaḷuṭe sahēādarane iṣṭamāṇ |
| Is she your grandmother? | അവൾ നിങ്ങളുടെ മുത്തശ്ശിയാണോ? | avaḷ niṅṅaḷuṭe muttaśśiyāṇēā? |
| I have two siblings | എനിക്ക് രണ്ട് സഹോദരങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട് | enikk raṇṭ sahēādaraṅṅaḷ uṇṭ |
| I live with my Aunt | ഞാൻ അമ്മായിയുടെ കൂടെയാണ് താമസിക്കുന്നത് | ñān am’māyiyuṭe kūṭeyāṇ tāmasikkunnat |
| I met your sister | ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളുടെ സഹോദരിയെ കണ്ടു | ñān niṅṅaḷuṭe sahēādariye kaṇṭu |
| My granfather is sick | എന്റെ മുത്തച്ഛൻ രോഗിയാണ് | enṟe muttacchan rēāgiyāṇ |
| You have amazing friends | നിങ്ങൾക്ക് അതിശയകരമായ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളുണ്ട് | niṅṅaḷkk atiśayakaramāya suhr̥ttukkaḷuṇṭ |
| Always respect your guests | നിങ്ങളുടെ അതിഥികളെ എപ്പോഴും ബഹുമാനിക്കുക | niṅṅaḷuṭe atithikaḷe eppēāḻuṁ bahumānikkuka |
Learn Other Languages With Malayalam
After learning some of the common Malayalam words, you must have realized that Malayalam is not similar to other languages. It has its extraordinary pronunciation, taste, and beauty that you can only discover if you keep learning Malayalam in detail. Having an understanding of these terms can offer comprehensive knowledge of how Indian people connect with one other and give a brief of the Indian traditional family culture.
If you want to have an interesting conversation with Malayam locals, make sure you check out some more resourceful blogs such as “How To Introduce Yourself In Malayalam – 5 Easy Steps” and “10+ Funny Malayalam Phrases” today.
Apart from Malayalam, if you are willing to get familiar with other fun languages, you can do that by accessing the Ling App by Simya Solutions for free. Ling has associates from all over the world with language experts who can guide you throughout your language learning journey with ease and perfection. From day-to-day phrases to unique cultural facts, you will get to read and learn intriguing things that are worth your time. So, Stop looking for a website or different apps. Click on Ling and have a wonderful time learning diverse languages.
