Believe it or not, this list comprises only the terms most commonly used in films. Also, you may hear the word 'jee' added on at the end: this suffix is used to show respect for the person being named.



pita, abba, baabu l father
maata, amma, maa mother
beta son
beti daughter
bahin, bahana sister
didi, jeejee older sister
bhai, bhaiyya brother
bhaabhi, jeejee elder brother's wife
jeejaa big sister's husband
daada, baaba (daadii) paternal grandfather (grandmother)
naana (naanii) maternal grandfather (grandmother)
pati husband
patni, biwi, bibi wife
bahu daughter-in-law
daamaad son-in-law
sasur father-in-law
saas mother-in-law
samdhii father of daughter- or son-in-law
samdhin mother of daughter- or son-in-law
jeth (jethaani) husband's elder brother (his wife)
devar (devraani) husband's little brother (his wife)
nanad husband's sister
pota, poti son's children (male, female)
naatii, naatin daughter's children (m, f)
maamaa (maamii) maternal uncle (his wife)
mausii (mausa) maternal aunt (her husband)
chacha, kaaka (chachii, kaakii) father's younger brother (his wife)
taa'uu (taa'ii) father's elder brother (his wife)
phuuphii (pron. poopii), bu'aa paternal aunt
phuuphaa paternal aunt's husband
bahano'ii sister's husband
saala wife's brother (also an insult used by men to men: implies they've had carnal relations with the man's sister)
saalii wife's sister








dil heart
pyaar, ishq, muhabbat, prem love
ham, hum we; also used to mean 'I'
main I
tu, tum, aap you (in order of ascending formality)
kabhi, kabhi kabhi sometimes
mera, meri my, mine
tera, teri your, yours
hamara, hamaara, hamari, hamaari our, ours; also used to mean 'my'
kya what (also used to indicate that a question is being asked)
sanam, jaanam, jaan, jaanejaan darling, sweetheart
chori, chori chori, chupke se in secret; quietly
huun, ho, hai, hain present tense conjugations of the verb 'hona,' meaning 'to be'
tha, thi, the past tense conjugations of the verb 'hona,' meaning 'to be'
kuch, kuchh something, some
koi, koii anyone, any, some, someone
kahaan where
kaun who
kaisa, kaise how, what kind
gaya, gaye, gayii, ga'ii past tense conjugations of 'jaana,' meaning 'to go'; verb also functions to add a sense of immediacy to other verbs.
jaayega, jayenge future tense conjugations of 'jaana'; see above
ka, ke, ki possessive; works like the apostrophe + s in 'David's hat'