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. From a grammatical standpoint, you will learn how to express possession. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and refer to family members in Bengali and express possession (to have).

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

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. Expressing Possession

2.1 Possessive Pronouns

English		Bengali	English		Bengali
My		আমার (amar)	Our		আমাদের (amader)
Your	IN	তোর (tor)	Your (plural)	IN	তোদের (toder)
	I	তোমার (tomar)		I	তোমাদের (tomader)
	F	আপনার (apnar)		F	আপনাদের (apnader)
His/Her (IN)	H	এর (er)	Their (I)	H	এদের (eder)
	T	ওর (or)		T	ওদের (oder)
	E	তার (tar)		E	তাদের (tader)
His/Her (F)	H	এঁর (er)	Their (F)	H	এঁদের (eder)
	T	ওঁর (or)		T	ওঁদের (oder)
	E	তাঁর (tar)		E	তাঁদের (tader)

When it comes to possessive pronouns we have to consider the same aspects that we have already seen with the personal pronouns:

The second person (you) distinguishes formality (IN = intimate, I = informal, F = formal)
The third person additionally distinguishes proximity (H = here, T = there, E = elsewhere).

The first and second person (singular and plural) possessive pronouns resemble their personal pronouns (আমি -> আমার, তুমি -> তোমার, আপনি -> আপনার, etc.). Note that the ending –দের (der) denotes plural (আমাদের, তোমাদের, আপনাদের, তাদের).

The third person possessive pronouns seem intimidating at first but are actually quite easy to learn: once you learn the pronouns for his/her – informal, you can deduce the other pronouns from there. As we already stated above, -der is added to get the plural. When analyzing informal (I) VS. formal (F) pronouns, the only difference is the nasalization.

2.2 The Possessive 's (of)

Possession can also be stated using names or indefinite people or objects. In English, we use the possessive ‘s (e.g. John’s cat). Alternatively this can be expressed using the word “of” (e.g. the cat of John).
In Bengali, the person (or object) possessing something receives the ending –র (-r) or –এর (-er) and is followed by the thing possessed. –র (-r) is used when the last letter of the noun is a vowel, while –এর (-er) is used when the last letter is a consonant. If the ending vowel is a standalone vowel, you find –য়ের (-yer) as the appropriate ending to use.

Examples:

ছেলে (chele) = boy → ছেলের বিড়াল = boy’s cat
মেয়ে (meye) = girl → মেয়ের বিড়াল = girl’s cat
বই (boi) = book → বইয়ের রঙ = book’s color
গাড়ি (gari) = car → গাড়ির জানালা = car’s window

Examples with Family Vocabulary:

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.)

2.3 To have

Bengali does not have a direct translation of the word “to have”. Instead, in order ot express possession Bengali uses a specific sentence construction:

[Person possessing] + possessive ending (–র/ –এর/ –য়ের) + [object possessed] + আছে (ache)

The first part of the construction (person possessing + possessive ending) can be replaced by a possessive pronoun (see 2.1).

Examples:

১. আমার একটা বই আছে। (Amar ekṭa boi ache.)
= I have a book. (lit: Of me a book there is.)
২. রাহুলের একটি গাড়ি আছে। (Rahuler ekṭi gaṛi chhilo.)
= Rahul had a car. (lit: Of Rahul a car it is.)

The word কাছে (kāchē)
কাছে in Bengali basically means “near” or “with” or “at someone’s place” and it is commonly used in sentences indicating possession.

Examples:

আমার কাছে একটা কলম আছে। (Āmār kāchē ēkṭā kalam āchē.)
= I have a pen. (lit: A pen is with me.)
তার কাছে গাড়ি আছে। (Tār kāchē gāṛi āchē.)
= He/She has a car. (lit.: A car is with him/her.)

What is আছে (ache)?

আছে is a verb meaning “to be (present)” or “to exist”. Remember that we made sentences saying we can just omit the word “to be”? Actually, the English word “to be” is translated differently into Bengali:

either as a zero verb (i.e. it is not expressed at all, e.g. like we saw above in: আমার বাবা একজন ডাক্তার। – My father is a doctor. Note that there is no Bengali word for “to be”);
or by using the verb আছে.

Which of these two verbs is used depends on the context of the sentence:

The Zero Verb (No Verb)

The Zero Verb is used when:

talking about identity (who/what someone is)
giving basic descriptions (nationality, profession, relationships, simple facts)

Examples:

আমি ছাত্র। (Ami chhatr.) = I am a student.
সে ডাক্তার। (Se daktar.) = He/She is a doctor.
রাহুল আমার বন্ধু। (Rahul amar bondhu.) = Rahul is my friend.
আমার নাম রাহুল। (Amar nam Rahul.) = My name is Rahul.

আছে (ache)

আছে is used when talking:

expressing existence
indicating possession
describing location

Examples:

বই টেবিলের উপর আছে। (Boi ṭebiler upar ache.) = The book is on the table.
তার একটা গাড়ি আছে। (Tar ekṭa gaṛi ache.) = He/She has a car.
রিমি ঘরে আছে। (Rimi ghore ache.) = Rimi is at home.

The verb আছে has a conjugation and the form “আছে” actually equals 3rd person informal elsewhere conjugation. For now, you don’t have to worry about it. We will discuss present tense conjugation in a later lesson. Just remember, that we use আছে to express “to have” in Bengali sentences.

What if we want to say that we do not have something?

In that case, we just need the negation of আছে (ache): নেই (nei).
নেই (nei) means “to not have” and in contrast to আছে (ache), it is not conjugated. The word remains the same for all persons.

Examples:

১. আমার কলম নেই। (Amar kolom nei.)
= I don’t have a pen.
২. রিমির বই নেই। (Rimir boi nei.)
= Rimi doesn’t have a book.
৩. টেবিলের উপর কাপ নেই। (Ṭebiler upar kap nei.)
= There is no cup on the table.
৪. বাড়িতে কেউ নেই। (Bāṛite keu nei.)
= There is no one at home.

3. 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 makes distinctions between maternal and paternal relatives as we saw in the unique terms for grandparents, uncles, and aunts, depending on lineage. Festivals like Durga Puja and weddings often become a grand family reunion. And while joint families remain intact in rural Bengal, urban families are usually always close to their extended relatives.

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.

Exercises

1. Vocabulary Exercises

Matching Game

Match the English terms with their Bengali equivalents:

English: Paternal Grandfather, Aunt (Mother’s Sister), Maternal Grandmother, Uncle (Mother’s Brother), Daughter, Cousin, Nephew.
Bengali: নানী, চাচাতো ভাই, মেয়ে, ভাইপো, দাদা, মামা, মামী.

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।
My father is a doctor. আমার ______ একজন ডাক্তার।
My brother studies in college. আমার ______ কলেজে পড়ে।
Her grandmother is very kind. তার ______ খুব দয়ালু।
Our uncle works in a bank. আমাদের ______ একটা ব্যাঙ্কে কাজ করেন।
His sister is an engineer. তার ______ একজন ইঞ্জিনিয়ার।

MC Quiz

1. What is the Bengali translation for “Father”?

a) Ma
b) Bhai
c) Baba

2. How do you say “My sister” in Bengali?

a) Amar bon
b) Amar bhai
c) Amar ma

3. Which term is used for maternal uncle?

a) Kaku
b) Mama
c) Pishi

4. How do you refer to a paternal grandmother?

a) Nani
b) Didima
c) Mashi

5. How do you refer to a maternal grandmother in Bengali?

a) Nani
b) Didima
c) Thakuma

6. What do you call your father’s brother in Bengali?

a) Kaku
b) Chacha
c) Mama

2. Grammar Exercises

Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences with আছে where needed:

আমার কাছে একটা ছাতা _____।
তার কাছে অনেক টাকা _____।
তোমার কাছে কি কলম _____?
আমাদের বাড়িতে দুটি বিড়াল _____।
রাহুলের কাছে একটা সাইকেল _____।

Translate into Bengali

Translate these sentences into Bengali (hint: use আছে for “has” or “there is/are”):

My name is Mara.
I have a friend.
They have a big house.
You have a book. (formal)
There is a dog.
Her brother has games.
Our house is there.
My brother has a car.
Lily’s friend is a doctor.
Their cat is nice.

Correct the Mistakes

Find and correct the mistake (if any):

আমার কাছে একটা বই আছি।
তার কাছে অনেক বন্ধু আছে।
তোমাদের বাড়ি আছে তিনটি কুকুর।
বাবার কাছে একটি ঘড়ি আছে।
ঘরে একটা বিড়াল আছি।

Make Sentences

Use the words to make a full Bengali sentence showing possession:

Example:
আমি / একটা ছাতা ➔ আমার কাছে একটা ছাতা আছে।

তুমি / একটি কলম
সে / একটি ব্যাগ
আমরা / অনেক বই
তারা / একটি বাড়ি
মা / একটি মোবাইল ফোন

In this lesson, you learned an extensive vocabulary for family and relationships in Bengali, and expressing the verb “to have”. Furthermore, you were introduced to the verb আছে that we will continue to meet along the journey of learning Bengali.
Understanding the terms and grammar taught in this lesson will help you connect more deeply with Bengali speakers and appreciate the cultural importance of family. Well done and keep up the good work!