Lesson 5
Family and Relationships
Introduction
Welcome to Lesson 5 of the Beginner Bengali course! In this lesson, you will build your vocabulary for family members and relationships. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and refer to family members in Bengali, engage in simple conversations about family, and gain cultural insights into the importance of familial relationships in Bengali-speaking communities.
1. Family Vocabulary
Here is an illustration of family terms in Bengali. Herein, blue fields represent male family members, while purple/pinkish fields represent female family members.
Here are some things to note about Bengali family terms:
- The Bengali language is very rich in family vocabulary. Family members are distinguished based on their gender, lineage (paternal VS maternal) and even people married into the family have special names.
- Family terms might vary depending on region. For instance, maternal grandparents might be referred to as নানা (nana, m) and নানী (nani, f) as given above or as দাদু (dadu, m) and দিদা (dida, f).
- There are two words given for “mother” and “father” respectively. In Bengali, মা (ma) and বাবা (baba) are the standard, universal terms for “mother” and “father”, while আম্মা (amma) and আব্বা (abba) are more traditional or formal, often used in rural areas or by Bengali Muslims due to cultural influences.
However, there are some other helpful words describing family and relationships that are not mentioned in the illustration. Let’s have a look at the following table:
| English | Bengali | Romanized |
|---|---|---|
| Family | পরিবার | Poribar |
| Father-in-law | শ্বশুর | Shoshur |
| Mother-in-law | শাশুড়ী | Shoshuri |
| Son-in-law | জামাই | Jamai |
| Daughter-in-law | বউমা | Bouma |
| Grandson | নাতি | Nati |
| Granddaughter | নাতনী | Natni |
| Husband | স্বামী | Shami |
| Wife | বউ | Bou |
Sentence Examples
- আমার বাবা একজন ডাক্তার।
Amar baba ekjon daktar. (My father is a doctor.) - তার মায়ের নাম কী?
Taar maayer naam ki? (What is her mother’s name?) - আমার ভাই স্কুলে যায়।
Amar bhai skul-e jay. (My brother goes to school.) - তার দাদু গ্রামে থাকেন।
Taar dadu grame thaken. (His grandfather lives in the village.) - আমার মামা খুব মজার মানুষ।
Amar mama khub mojar manush. (My maternal uncle is a very funny person.) - আমার পিশি আমাকে অনেক গল্প বলে।
Amar pishi amake onek golpo bole. (My aunt tells me many stories.) - তার মেয়ে নাচ শিখছে।
Taar meye nach shikhche. (Her daughter is learning to dance.)
The huge amount of family vocabulary can be very overwhelming at first. Don’t worry! With time they’ll seem more natural to you.
Before we move on to the sample sentences and dialogues, there’s one more expression we want to learn. A commonly used expression ist “big” / “small” brother, sister etc. How to say this in Bengali?
Expressing "Older" and "younger"
This expression is quite easy. “Older/bigger” is expressed by বড় (boro), whereas “younger/smaller” is expressed by ছোট (choto). For the word “middle” মেজো (mejo) can be used.
E.g. ছোট বোন, মেজো বোন, বড় ভাই
However, there’s a second way to indicate that someone is older. That is by using specific terms that must be remembered as vocabulary:
- elder brother: ভাইয়া (bhaiya)
- elder sister: দিদি (didi)
2. Cultural Insights
Family is at the core of the Bengali society, where relationships are valued and respected. In most cases, three generations may stay under one roof to form an integral family unit.
Respect for elders is central in Bengali culture, and they are addressed by honorifics by their younger family members, while one always seeks their blessings at every important occasions. For instance, touching the feet of elders (পায়া ছায়া, paaye chhawa) is a common gesture of respect.
The language carries the distinction between maternal and paternal relatives in the unique terms for grandparents, uncles, and aunts, depending on lineage. Festivals like Durga Puja and weddings often become a grand family reunion, depicting the joy of being together. And while joint families remain intact in rural Bengal, urban families are usually always close to their extended relatives.
Exercises
Practice Dialogues
Dialogue 1:
Here is a practice dialogue to help you use family terms in conversation:
Rahul: তোমার পরিবারের কয়জন সদস্য আছেন?
Tomar poribarer koyjon shoshho ache?
How many members are in your family?
Rina: আমাদের পরিবারে ছয়জন সদস্য আছেন। বাবা, মা, আমি, আমার ভাই, আর আমার দাদু-দিদিমা।
Amader poribare chhoyjon shoshho ache. Baba, Ma, Ami, Amar Bhai, ar Amar Dadu-Didima.
There are six members in our family: father, mother, me, my brother, and my grandparents.
Rahul: তোমার মামা-মাসি কোথায় থাকেন?
Tomar mama-mashi kothaye thaken?
Where do your maternal uncle and aunt live?
Rina: আমার মামা কলকাতায় আর আমার মাসি মুম্বাইতে থাকেন।
Amar mama Kolkata-e ar amar mashi Mumbai-te thaken.
My uncle lives in Kolkata, and my aunt lives in Mumbai.
Rahul: তোমার ভাই কি পড়াশোনা করে?
Tomar bhai ki porashona kore?
Does your brother study?
Rina: হ্যাঁ, ও স্কুলে পড়ে। তুমি?
Hyaan, o skul-e pore. Tumi?
Yes, he goes to school. And you?
Rahul: আমার দুই বোন আছে। ওরা কলেজে পড়ে।
Amar dui bon ache. Ora college-e pore.
I have two sisters. They are in college.
Summary
Matching Game
Match the English terms with their Bengali equivalents:
| English | Bengali (Romanized) |
| Paternal Grandfather | Dadu |
| Maternal Grandmother | Nani |
| Uncle (Mother’s Brother) | Mama |
| Daughter | Meye |
Instructions: Drag and drop the Bengali terms to their corresponding English terms in the interactive module.
Fill in the Blank
Complete the sentences with the correct Bengali word:
My mother is a teacher. আমার ______ একজন শিক্ষিকা।
His grandfather’s name is Ramesh. তার ______ নাম রমেশ।
My aunt lives in Kolkata. আমার ______ কলকাতায় থাকেন।
Flashcards
Practice family vocabulary with flashcards to reinforce your memory.
Quiz
Test your knowledge with a short quiz:
What is the Bengali word for “Father”?
a) Ma
b) Bhai
c) Baba
How do you say “My sister” in Bengali?
a) Amar bon
b) Amar bhai
c) Amar ma
Which term is used for maternal uncle?
a) Kaku
b) Mama
c) Pishi
How do you refer to a paternal grandmother?
a) Nani
b) Didima
c) Mashi
In this lesson, you learned an extensive vocabulary for family and relationships in Bengali, explored cultural nuances, and practiced with interactive activities. Understanding these terms will help you connect more deeply with Bengali speakers and appreciate the cultural importance of family.