What to call every relative.
Build the relationship ("mum's older sister") and get the Tamil word your family will expect, with the spoken and formal forms.
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Compared with me
I am (changes the word for nieces and nephews)
Every family word
Your family 21
Father
அப்பாappaOlder brother
அண்ணன்annanYounger brother
தம்பிthambiOlder sister
அக்காakkaYounger sister
தங்கச்சிthangachchiBrother (formal, any age)
அண்ணன் / தம்பிannan / thambiSister (formal, any age)
அக்கா / தங்கச்சிakka / thangachchiSibling(s)
கூடப் பிறந்தவங்கkoodap pirandhavangaSon
பையன்paiyanDaughter
பொண்ணுponnuChildren (one's kids)
புள்ளைங்கpullaingaGrandfather / grandmother (either side)
தாத்தா / பாட்டிthaatha / paattiGreat-grandfather
கொள்ளுத் தாத்தாkolluth thaathaGreat-grandmother
கொள்ளுப் பாட்டிkollup paattiGrandson
பேரன்peranGranddaughter
பேத்திpeththiCousin (prefix for a parallel cousin: "cousin-brother", "cousin-sister")
ஒண்ணுவிட்டonnuvittaParents
அம்மா அப்பாamma appaFamily
குடும்பம்kudumbamRelatives
சொந்தக்காரங்கsondhakkaarangaMum's side 7
Mother's father (maternal grandfather)
தாத்தாthaathaMother's mother (maternal grandmother)
பாட்டிpaattiMother's older sister (or father's older brother's wife)
பெரியம்மாperiyammaMother's younger sister (or father's younger brother's wife)
சித்திchiththiMother's brother (also father's sister's husband, and father-in-law when addressing him)
மாமாmaamaMother's brother's wife (aunt by marriage)
மாமிmaamiMother's brother's daughter (female cross-cousin)
மாமா பொண்ணுmaama ponnuDad's side 6
Father's father (paternal grandfather)
தாத்தாthaathaFather's mother (paternal grandmother)
பாட்டிpaattiFather's older brother (or mother's older sister's husband)
பெரியப்பாperiyappaFather's younger brother (or mother's younger sister's husband)
சித்தப்பாchiththappaFather's sister (also mother's brother's wife, and mother-in-law when addressing her)
அத்தைaththaiFather's sister's daughter (female cross-cousin)
அத்தை பொண்ணுaththai ponnuBy marriage 16
Husband
வீட்டுக்காரர்veettukkaararWife
மனைவிmanaiviFather-in-law
மாமனார்maamanaarMother-in-law
மாமியார்maamiyaarOlder brother's wife
அண்ணிanniOlder sister's husband (also an older male cross-cousin)
அத்தான்aththaanWife's brother; sister's husband; male cross-cousin
மச்சான்machanSon-in-law; younger sister's husband; bridegroom
மாப்பிள்ளைmaappillaiHusband's younger brother
கொழுந்தன்kozhundhanWife's younger sister
கொழுந்தியாkozhundhiyaaHusband's sister
நாத்தனார்naaththanaarBrother-in-law (general formal word)
மச்சான்machanSister-in-law (general formal word)
அண்ணிanniWife's sister's husband (co-brother-in-law)
சகலைsagalaiSon-in-law; a man's sister's son or a woman's brother's son (nephew)
மருமகன்marumaganDaughter-in-law; a man's sister's daughter or a woman's brother's daughter (niece)
மருமகள்marumagalRespect rules that matter more than the words
- Never address someone older by their name: use the kinship word (அண்ணா anna, அக்கா akka, மாமா maama, அத்தை aththai), even for close family friends.
- Talk about elders with the respectful plural: அப்பா வந்தாங்க (appa vandhaanga, "Dad came"), not அப்பா வந்தான் (vandhaan).
- Kinship words are used for non-relatives all the time: அண்ணா for a rickshaw driver, அக்கா for a shopkeeper, பாட்டி for any elderly woman.
- Tamil splits uncles and aunts by which parent they are related to and whether they are older or younger than that parent - English "aunt" can be four different Tamil words.
How to use it
- Pick a sideMum's side, dad's side, your own siblings, or your spouse's family.
- Pick the personOlder or younger matters in Tamil: the word for an aunt depends on whether she is older or younger than your parent.
- Hear and save itPlay the word, see the spoken and formal forms, and copy a link to share with family.
Why Tamil has so many family words
English says "aunt" where Tamil has four different words. Your mother's older sister, your mother's younger sister, your father's sister and your mother's brother's wife each have their own word, and which one you use depends on which side of the family they're on and whether they're older or younger than your parent.
The pattern is easier than it looks. பெரிய (periya) ‘big / older’ and சின்ன (chinna) ‘small / younger’ attach to the parent words: your mother's older sister is பெரியம்மா (periyamma) ‘big mother’ and her younger sister is சித்தி (chiththi) ‘younger aunt’. Your father's older brother is பெரியப்பா (periyappa) ‘big father’.
Cross and parallel relatives
Tamil kinship distinguishes parallel relatives (your mother's sisters, your father's brothers) from cross relatives (your mother's brother, your father's sister). Parallel aunts and uncles are a kind of parent; cross ones have their own words: மாமா (maama) ‘mother's brother’ and அத்தை (aththai) ‘father's sister’. The same split carries down to cousins, which is why a parallel cousin is often called brother or sister.
Families say it differently
Kinship words vary by region, by caste and community, and between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Treat this tool as the common default and ask your family which words they use. If they say something different, theirs is the right one.
Guides for this tool
Tamil Family Words: What to Call Every Relative
Tamil words for every relative: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws, with spoken vs formal forms and Sri Lankan notes.
Talking to Grandparents in Tamil: 20 Phrases That Matter
20 polite spoken Tamil phrases for talking with your paatti and thaatha: checking in, keeping the conversation going, their stories and goodbyes.
Raising Bilingual Kids in Tamil: What Research Says
Keeping Tamil alive at home abroad: what studies say about input, which family strategies work, and what to do when kids answer in English.
Questions, answered
What do you call your mother's sister in Tamil?
It depends on her age relative to your mother: periyamma (பெரியம்மா) if she is older, chiththi (சித்தி) if she is younger.
What is the difference between maama and chiththappa?
Maama (மாமா) is your mother's brother (and also commonly your father-in-law); chiththappa (சித்தப்பா) is your father's younger brother.
Are these words the same in Sri Lankan Tamil?
Many are, but not all: Sri Lankan Tamil families often use different words for grandparents and some aunts and uncles. The tool notes common variants where we have them; your family's usage always wins.
Is my selection stored anywhere?
No. The tool runs in your browser. The share link only contains the relationship you picked (for example ?r=mums-older-sister), nothing about you.
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