If you are an Indian or a fan of Telugu actors or both, you must be familiar with the term Gaaru. It is a Telugu word or Telugu honorific for addressing someone respectfully. You can use it for family as well as non-family members. In Telugu culture, family is a beautiful thing. And being able to have all of them is an even more beautiful thing. After all, only a few lucky ones can experience what a tight-knit family can be like. So, you are in the right place if you are from a Telugu family or about to join one and want to call them by Telugu words.
With this comprehensive Telugu vocabulary for family, we’ll learn everything we need to call them with correct Telugu nouns, as God intended. Let’s see how it’s done.
Table Of Contents
History Behind Telugu Vocabulary For Family
You need to know one thing – according to tradition, in the distant past, when a marriage was supposed to happen, families would enquire about the past seven generations of the bride or bridegroom’s families to see if the family was fit to have a relationship. After all, culturally, a marriage is not between a man and a woman but between two families.
With this line of thinking and a lot of emphasis on joint families, Telugu culture was shaped so everyone would know everyone. The same might be true for other cultures with different approaches, but what this means is that there are a few more nouns for family members in Telugu households. So, let’s see what they are.
Telugu Vocabulary For Family Relationships
Since joint families were the norm, an immediate family generally includes siblings and their spouses in big Telugu families. Please note that some of these addresses would differ in different regions due to dialect variations. The tables below contain the words most commonly used across Telugu states.
If your Telugu friends or family use different terms, they’ll help you with them. But even then, the difference only comes to distant relatives, so you need not worry about that.
| English | Telugu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Grandmother (Mom’s side) | అమ్మమ్మ | Ammamma |
| Grandfather (Mom’s side) | తాతయ్య | Tatayya |
| Grandmother (Dad’s side) | నాన్నమ్మ/నాయనమ్మ | Nannamma/Nayanamma |
| Grandfather (Dad’s side) | తాతయ్య | Tatayya |
| Grandson | మనవడు | Manavadu |
| Granddaughter | మనవరాలు | Manavaralu |
| Great-grandmother (Mom’s side) | మునిమామ్మ | Muni Ammamma (Munimamma) |
| Great-grandfather (Mom’s side) | ముత్తాత | Muttatayya |
| Great-grandmother (Dad’s side) | మునిమామ్మ | Muni Nanamma (Munimamma) |
| Great-grandfather (Dad’s side) | ముత్తాత | Muttatayya |
| Uncle (Mother’s elder brother) | మేనమామ/పెద్ద మామయ్య | Menamama/Pedda Mamayya |
| Uncle (Mother’s younger brother) | మేనమామ/చిన్న మామయ్య | Menamama/Chinna Mamayya |
| Uncle (Father’s elder brother) | పెద్ద నాన్న | Pedda Nanna |
| Uncle (Father’s younger brother) | చిన్నాన్న/బాబాయ్ | Chinnanna/Babai |
| Aunt (Mother’s elder sister) | పెద్దమ్మ | Peddamma |
| Aunt (Mother’s younger sister) | చిన్నమ్మ | Chinnamma |
| Niece (Brother/Sister’s daughter) | మేనకోడలు | Menakodalu |
| Nephew (Brother/Sister’s son) | మేనల్లుడు | Menalludu |
| Dad’s elder sister | పెద్డత్త | Peddatta |
| Dad’s younger sister | పిన్ని | Pinni |
| Dad’s elder brother’s wife | పెద్దమ్మ | Peddamma |
| Dad’s younger brother’s wife | పిన్ని | Pinni |
| Dad’s elder sister’s husband | పెద్ద మామయ్య | Pedda Mavayya |
| Dad’s younger sister’s husband | చిన్న మామయ్య | Chinna Mavayya |
| Cousin (Male) | మేనల్లుడు | Menalludu |
| Cousin (Male) | మేనకోడలు | Menakodalku |
Telugu Vocabulary For Extended Family Relationships
Extended family is something one feels proud about. After all, the bigger your family, the higher your prestige. This is why an average Telugu wedding gathers about 600 guests, and the number frequently goes above 1000. Let’s see how you can address them all if you are at one. While at it, read this to learn how to greet them in Telugu.
| English | Telugu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Grandmother (Dad’s side) | అమ్మమ్మ | Ammamma |
| Grandfather (Mom’s side) | తాతయ్య | Tatayya |
| Grandmother (Dad’s side) | నాన్నమ్మ/నాయనమ్మ | Nannamma/Nayanamma |
| Grandfather (Dad’s side) | తాతయ్య | Tatayya |
| Grandson | మనవడు | Manavadu |
| Granddaughter | మనవరాలు | Manavaralu |
| Great-grandmother (Mom’s side) | మునిమామ్మ | Muni Ammamma (Munimamma) |
| Great-grandfather (Mom’s side) | ముత్తాత | Muttatayya |
| Great-grandmother (Dad’s side) | మునిమామ్మ | Muni Nanamma (Munimamma) |
| Great-grandfather (Dad’s side) | ముత్తాత | Muttatayya |
| Uncle (Mother’s elder brother) | మేనమామ/పెద్ద మామయ్య | Menamama/Pedda Mamayya |
| Uncle (Mother’s younger brother) | మేనమామ/చిన్న మామయ్య | Menamama/Chinna Mamayya |
| Uncle (Father’s elder brother) | పెద్ద నాన్న | Pedda Nanna |
| Uncle (Father’s younger brother) | చిన్నాన్న/బాబాయ్ | Chinnanna/Babai |
| Aunt (Mother’s elder sister) | పెద్దమ్మ | Peddamma |
| Aunt (Mother’s younger sister) | చిన్నమ్మ | Chinnamma |
| Niece (Brother/Sister’s daughter) | మేనల్లుడు | Menalludu |
| Nephew (Brother/Sister’s son) | మేనకోడలు | Menakodalu |
| Dad’s elder sister | పెద్డత్త | Peddatta |
| Dad’s younger sister | పిన్ని | Pinni |
| Dad’s elder brother’s wife | పెద్దమ్మ | Peddamma |
| Dad’s younger brother’s wife | పిన్ని | Pinni |
| Dad’s elder sister’s husband | పెద్ద మామయ్య | Pedda Mavayya |
| Dad’s younger sister’s husband | చిన్న మామయ్య | Chinna Mavayya |
| Cousin (Male) | మేనల్లుడు | Menalludu |
| Cousin (Male) | మేనకోడలు | Menakodalku |
Telugu Vocabulary For Other Family Relationships
Since most families favor marrying their children within their community, in-laws are an essential addition. Step relations are somewhat rare in Telugu families. So, I’ve included them both here.
| English | Telugu | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Father-in-law | మావయ్య | Mavayya |
| Mother-in-law | అత్తయ్య | Attayya |
| Sister-in-law (younger) | మరదలు | Maradalu |
| Brother-in-law (elder) | బావ | Bhava |
| Brother-in-law (younger sister’s husband) | బావమరిది | Bhavamaridi |
| Brother-in-law (Husband’s younger brother) | మరిది | Maridi |
| Son-in-law | అల్లుడు | Alludu |
| Daughter-in-law | కోడలు | Kodalu |
| Son/Daughter-in-law’s Father | వియ్యంకుడు | Viyyankudu |
| Son/Daughter-in-law’s Mother | వియ్యంకురాలు | Viyyankuralu |
| Co-sister (wife of brother-in-law) | తోడికోడలు | Totikodalu |
| Co-brother (husband of sister-in-law) | తోడల్లుడు | Todalludu |
| Step Father | మారేడు తండ్రి | Maredu Tandri |
| Step Mother | మారేడు తల్లి | Maredu Thalli |
| Step elder brother | మారేడు అన్న | Maredu Anna |
| Step elder sister | మారేడు అక్క | Maredu Akka |
| Step younger brother | మారేడు తమ్ముడు | Maredu Tammudu |
| Step younger sister | మారేడు చెల్లి | Maredu Chelli |
Please note that the terms given for step relations are not used while addressing them. They are used only when referencing them formally to others. In all other instances, they’ll be called just mom, dad, brother, etc.
How Do You Say Family In Telugu?
In Telugu, the word for family is Kutumbam (కుటుంబం). If we expand a little, the word for a relative is Bandhuvu (బంధువు) and relatives is Bandhuvulu (బంధువులు). The word Bandhuvu has two origins: One is from the Sanskrit word Bandhu (బంధు), which means relation, and the other is from the Telugu word Bandham (బంధం), which also implies relation.
FAQs About Telugu Vocabulary For Family
1. Will Anyone Take Offence If I Address Them Incorrectly?
No. Telugu people are generally passive and will not take offense. They’ll politely correct you. If you struggle to memorize, you can add the suffixes Mava, Bava, and Maya to their names in Telugu. This is an easier way to address them while including the relationship. But be sure to take the help of someone to help you determine the relationship.
2. How Do I Memorize These Relations Easily?
There needs to be more complex answers to this. I suggest you memorize the immediate family members’ vocabulary first and then move on to the others. I know it’s a lot of relations, but trust me, it’s worth knowing them all.
3. How Do I Call Someone Formally Or With Respect?
While addressing, to make it respectable, add the suffix Gaaru at the end. So, Dad’s elder brother, called Peddananna, would be Peddananna Garu. You may do this with all the relations.
Let’s Summarize
I’ve brought you closer to the Telugu relations you plan to get close to. Remember, everyone appreciates your efforts the most, especially if they know you do not speak the language and are trying to learn it for them.
We’ve covered all the immediate, extended, and other family relationship names, so now you must practice and perfect them. While at it, read these funny Telugu phrases to laugh with your family.
And finally, make sure to check our other blog posts to learn more and practice so you can impress everyone you’ll meet. You can start by learning to introduce yourself in Telugu. Until next time!
