Welcome to Unit 2! In this lesson, you'll learn to talk about your family in Hindi. Indian families are often large and close-knit, and Hindi has specific words for every family relationship. You'll learn the core family members — from माँ [mā̃] (mother) to दादा [dādā] (paternal grandfather) — and how to use possessive adjectives like मेरा [merā] (my) and हमारा [hamārā] (our). By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to introduce your family to anyone!
Learning tips
- Hindi possessive adjectives change based on the gender of the noun they describe, NOT the gender of the possessor. So 'my brother' is मेरा भाई [merā bhāī] (masculine) but 'my sister' is मेरी बहन [merī bahan] (feminine).
- Family words in Hindi are very specific. दादा [dādā] and दादी [dādī] are ONLY for paternal grandparents (father's parents). Maternal grandparents have completely different words — you'll learn those in the next lesson!
- Notice the pattern: many male-female pairs end in -आ [-ā] / -ई [-ī]: दादा [dādā] / दादी [dādī], बेटा [beṭā] / बेटी [beṭī]. This is a very common gender pattern in Hindi.
- Practice introducing your own family using मेरा/मेरी [merā/merī] — even if it's imaginary!
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कृपया [kṛpayā] | please | |
| माफ़ कीजिए [māf kījie] | sorry / excuse me | |
| कोई बात नहीं [koī bāt nahī̃] | no problem / it's okay | |
| बहुत अच्छा [bahut acchā] | very good | |
| ज़रूर [zarūr] | of course / sure | |
| सुनिए [sunie] | listen (polite) | |
| बताइए [batāie] | tell (polite) | |
| ठीक है [ṭhīk hai] | okay / alright | |
| चलिए [calie] | let's go (polite) | |
| फिर मिलेंगे [phir milẽge] | see you again |
Dialog
Sita is showing Ravi photos of her family on her phone at their usual chai spot near Delhi University campus. She introduces her parents, siblings, and grandparents. Notice how she uses मेरा [merā] for masculine family members (भाई [bhāī], पापा [pāpā]) and मेरी [merī] for feminine family members (माँ [mā̃], बहन [bahan], दादी [dādī]). The word बड़ा [baṛā] means 'big/large' and is commonly used to describe families in India, where joint families are the norm.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| माँ | mā̃ | /maː̃/ | mother, mom | The most common word for mother in everyday Hindi. More formal: माता [mātā]. |
| पापा | pāpā | /paː.paː/ | father, dad | Informal and affectionate. More formal: पिता [pitā] or पिताजी [pitājī]. |
| भाई | bhāī | /bʰaː.iː/ | brother | Used for all brothers. Add बड़ा [baṛā] (elder) or छोटा [choṭā] (younger) for specificity. |
| बहन | bahan | /bə.hən/ | sister | Used for all sisters. Also sometimes written as बहिन [bahin]. |
| बेटा | beṭā | /be.ʈaː/ | son | Masculine noun ending in -आ [-ā]. Also used affectionately for boys in general. |
| बेटी | beṭī | /be.ʈiː/ | daughter | Feminine noun ending in -ई [-ī]. The -आ/-ई pair (बेटा/बेटी) is a key gender pattern. |
| दादा | dādā | /d̪aː.d̪aː/ | paternal grandfather | ONLY your father's father. Maternal grandfather is नाना [nānā] — a completely different word! |
| दादी | dādī | /d̪aː.d̪iː/ | paternal grandmother | ONLY your father's mother. Maternal grandmother is नानी [nānī]. |
| परिवार | parivār | /pə.ri.vaːr/ | family | From Sanskrit. In India, परिवार often means the extended joint family, not just parents and children. |
| बड़ा | baṛā | /bə.ɽaː/ | big, large, elder | Changes with gender: बड़ा [baṛā] (masc.), बड़ी [baṛī] (fem.), बड़े [baṛe] (masc. pl./oblique). |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| छोटा | choṭā | /t͡ʃʰo.ʈaː/ | small, younger | Opposite of बड़ा [baṛā]. छोटा भाई [choṭā bhāī] = younger brother. |
| प्यारा | pyārā | /pjaː.raː/ | cute, dear, lovely | Very commonly used for children and loved ones. |
| साथ | sāth | /saːt̪ʰ/ | together, with | Used with के [ke] to form the postposition 'with': के साथ [ke sāth]. |
| रहना | rahnā | /rəh.naː/ | to live, to stay | Infinitive form. Conjugated: रहता है [rahtā hai] (he lives), रहती है [rahtī hai] (she lives). |
| हमारा | hamārā | /hə.maː.raː/ | our | Masculine form. Changes to हमारी [hamārī] for feminine nouns. |
| उनका | unkā | /ʊn.kaː/ | his/her/their | Masculine form. Changes to उनकी [unkī] for feminine nouns. Used for formal 'your' too. |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मेरा परिवार | merā parivār | my family |
| मेरी माँ | merī mā̃ | my mother |
| बड़ा परिवार | baṛā parivār | big/large family |
Grammar: Gender of Hindi nouns and possessive adjectives (मेरा/मेरी [merā/merī], हमारा/हमारी [hamārā/hamārī])
| Possessive | Masculine — पुल्लिंग [pulliṅg] | Feminine — स्त्रीलिंग [strīliṅg] | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| my — मेरा/मेरी [merā/merī] | मेरा भाई [merā bhāī] | मेरी बहन [merī bahan] | मेरा बेटा / मेरी बेटी [merā beṭā / merī beṭī] |
| our — हमारा/हमारी [hamārā/hamārī] | हमारा परिवार [hamārā parivār] | हमारी माँ [hamārī mā̃] | हमारा दादा / हमारी दादी [hamārā dādā / hamārī dādī] |
| your (formal) — आपका/आपकी [āpkā/āpkī] | आपका बेटा [āpkā beṭā] | आपकी बेटी [āpkī beṭī] | आपका भाई / आपकी बहन [āpkā bhāī / āpkī bahan] |
| his/her/their — उनका/उनकी [unkā/unkī] | उनका पापा [unkā pāpā] | उनकी माँ [unkī mā̃] | उनका दादा / उनकी दादी [unkā dādā / unkī dādī] |
Hindi nouns have grammatical gender — every noun is either masculine (पुल्लिंग [pulliṅg]) or feminine (स्त्रीलिंग [strīliṅg]). For family members, the gender usually matches the person: भाई [bhāī] (brother) is masculine, बहन [bahan] (sister) is feminine.
Possessive adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they describe:
- मेरा [merā] (my, masc.) → मेरा भाई [merā bhāī] (my brother)
- मेरी [merī] (my, fem.) → मेरी बहन [merī bahan] (my sister)
- मेरे [mere] (my, masc. pl./oblique) → मेरे दादा [mere dādā] (my grandfather — used with postpositions)
This is different from English where 'my' never changes. In Hindi, the possessive adjusts to match the thing possessed, not the possessor. So a woman still says मेरा भाई [merā bhāī] (my brother) with the masculine form.
The same pattern applies to हमारा/हमारी [hamārā/hamārī] (our), आपका/आपकी [āpkā/āpkī] (your formal), and उनका/उनकी [unkā/unkī] (his/her/their).
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing Hindi word.
- ये माँ हैं।(possessive — feminine noun)
- भाई का नाम राहुल है।(possessive — masculine noun)
- हमारा बहुत बड़ा है।(a noun meaning 'family')
- और दादी जयपुर में रहते हैं।(paternal grandfather)
- राहुल का एक है।(a masculine family member)
Grammar Application
Choose the correct possessive adjective form based on the noun's gender.
- बहन (my sister) → मेरा or मेरी? [merā or merī?](बहन is feminine)
- पापा (our father) → हमारा or हमारी? [hamārā or hamārī?](पापा is masculine)
- दादी (your grandmother) → आपका or आपकी? [āpkā or āpkī?](दादी is feminine)
- भाई (his brother) → उनका or उनकी? [unkā or unkī?](भाई is masculine)
- बेटी (my daughter) → मेरा or मेरी? [merā or merī?](बेटी is feminine)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- This is my family.
- My mother and my father.
- My brother is big/elder.
- Their daughter is very cute.
- Grandfather and grandmother live in Jaipur.
Creative Construction
Describe your family (real or imaginary) in 2-3 Hindi sentences using words from this lesson.
Writing: Consonants — pa-group (प-वर्ग [pa-varg])
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| पापा | pāpā |
| भाई | bhāī |
| माँ | mā̃ |
Today we learn the pa-group (प-वर्ग [pa-varg]) — five consonants produced with the lips:
- प [pa] — like 'p' in 'spin' (unaspirated, no puff of air)
- फ [pha] — like 'p' in 'pin' (with a puff of air). NOT like English 'f'!
- ब [ba] — like 'b' in 'bin'
- भ [bha] — like 'b' with a puff of air. Say 'ab-hor' quickly — that 'b-h' is close.
- म [ma] — like 'm' in 'mom'
Notice the pattern: प/फ [pa/pha] are unvoiced (no vibration in throat), ब/भ [ba/bha] are voiced (throat vibrates), and म [ma] is nasal. The second consonant in each pair (फ [pha], भ [bha]) adds aspiration (a puff of air).
Practice with family words: पापा [pāpā] (father), भाई [bhāī] (brother), माँ [mā̃] (mother).
Takeaway
Every Hindi noun has a gender, and possessive adjectives must match: मेरा भाई [merā bhāī] (my brother, masc.) vs. मेरी बहन [merī bahan] (my sister, fem.). Remember the gender — it's essential for correct Hindi!