Family Vocab

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In English, there are only a few names for family members. For example, our father's brother and our mother's brother are both called the same thing: "uncle."
But in Nepali the words and titles used for family are much more specific, which can make it difficult for a beginner!
In addition, strangers are also addressed by "family" names: the lady you buy your veggies from is your 'older sister,' the kid that lives on your block is your 'little brother,' and the older woman who asks you for directions is your 'auntie.' There are no words for "excuse me" as we would use it in English to address a stranger - it's literally almost required for you to call someone as though they are a family member!

In regards to actual relatives, there are so many different words for so many different members of the family that it's almost impossible to list them all in once place. Here is a partial list of words to get you started:

Immediate family:


father - बुबा buba/buwa
mother - आमा aama, मा maa, ममी mami
son - छोरा choraa

daughter - छोरी chori
grandmother - बज्यै bajyai (informal), हजुरआमा hajur-ama (formal)
grandfather - बाजे baaje, हजुरबुबा hajur-buwa
elder brother - दाई dai, दाजु daju
younger brother - भाइ bhai
elder sister - दिदी didi
younger sister - बहिनी bahini
wife - पत्नी patni, बुढी buddhi (informal), श्रीमती shrimati (formal)
husband - पति pati, बुढा budha (informal), श्रीमान shriman (formal)

Extended family:

Uncle/Aunt- 

Father's elder brother - ठुलो बा thulo baa (his wife: ठुली आमा thuli aama)
Father's younger brother - काका kaakaa (his wife: काकी kaaki)
Father's sister - फुफु fufu (her husband: फुफा fufa)
Mother's brother - मामा mama
mother's younger sister - सानी आमा saani aama
(I think your mother's older sister is also your "thuli aama" as well.)

Cousins are usually referred to the same as your own brothers and sisters (dai, bahini, etc). But if you want to be specific, you can say "cousin dai" (cousin being the English word) to make a distinction.

mother-in-law: सासु sasu
father-in-law: ससुरा sasuraa
daughter-in-law: बुहारी buhari
son-in-law: ज्वाईं  jwain
brother-in-law: भिनाज्यु bhinajyu
sister-in-law: भाउजु bhauju


This is by no means an exhaustive list, but this is the basics and most common terms that you will hear in daily speech. I've noticed that a lot of native Nepali speakers are also unaware of the more uncommon terms used for distant family members.

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