Family Members in Kannada (ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಪದಗಳು)

Talking about your family is one of the most personal ways to use a language. In Kannada, each relationship has a unique and expressive name. Let’s learn the basics — with Kannada words + how to say them in English.

Key Family Words

Relation	Kannada (Script)	Pronunciation (English)
Mother	ತಾಯಿ	Taa-yi
Father	ತಂದೆ	Tan-de
Elder Brother	ಅಣ್ಣ	An-na
Younger Brother	ತಮ್ಮ	Tam-ma
Elder Sister	ಅಕ್ಕ	Ak-ka
Younger Sister	ತಂಗಿ	Tan-gi
Grandmother	ಅಜ್ಜಿ	Aj-ji
Grandfather	ಅಜ್ಜ	Aj-ja
Son	ಮಗ	Ma-ga
Daughter	ಮಗಳು	Ma-ga-lu
Husband	ಗಂಡ	Gan-da
Wife	ಹೆಂಡತಿ	Hen-da-ti

Sample Sentences

English Sentence	Kannada (Script)	Pronunciation (English)
She is my elder sister	ಅವಳು ನನ್ನ ಅಕ್ಕ	Avaḷu nanna akka
Grandma tells me stories	ಅಜ್ಜಿ ನನಗೆ ಕಥೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾರೆ	Ajji nanage kathe heḷuttāre
I went with my father	ನಾನು ತಂದೆ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ತೆರಳಿದ್ದೆ	Nānu tande jotege teraḷidde
My younger sister goes to school	ನನ್ನ ತಂಗಿ ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ	Nanna tangi shālege hoguttāḷe

Cultural Note

In Kannada culture:

• Family members are addressed with respect, especially elders
• Use plural/respectful form when referring to elders (e.g., “ಅವರು” – avaru instead of “ಅವನು” – avanu)

Practice Idea

Try filling in the blanks:

1. My mother = ______ (ನನ್ನ ___ / Nanna ___)
2. Your grandfather = ______ (ನಿನ್ನ ___ / Ninna ___)
3. Her daughter = ______ (ಅವಳ ___ / Avaḷa ___)

Summary

Now you know how to talk about your family in Kannada — with clear, simple pronunciation help. Practice using these words with friends or in your daily sentences.

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು!
Namaskara mattu Dhanyavaadagalu!
(Hello and Thank you!)