అన్న
anna/anːa/
The Telugu term అన్న (anna) means older brother.
అన్న is used to address or refer to one's older brother.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is anna. The IPA is /anːa/.
When do people say it?
In Telugu culture, using kinship terms like అన్న for non-relatives is a standard way to show social closeness and respect.
Did you know?
- The Telugu word అన్న is a cognate shared across almost all major Dravidian languages, including Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu.
- While అన్న means 'older brother', Telugu has entirely different words for 'younger brother' and 'sister', as the language prioritizes the age hierarchy in its kinship terms.
- In Telugu film dialogue, calling a character అన్న (anna) is often a coded way to signal a deep, loyal bond between protagonists, often mimicking a brotherhood of choice.
Examples in context
- నా అన్న చాలా మంచివాడు.nā anna chālā manchivādu.My brother is a very good person.
- అన్న, నాకు సహాయం చేయగలరా?anna, nāku sahāyam cheyagalarā?Brother, can you help me?
Example conversation
Sravani is asking Kiran for a favor.
- శ్రావణి Sravaniఅన్న, నాకు ఈ పుస్తకం కావాలి.Anna, nāku ī pustakaṃ kāvāli.Brother, I want this book.
- కిరణ్ Kiranసరే శ్రావణి, తీసుకో.Sare Śrāvaṇi, tīsuko.Okay Sravani, take it.
- శ్రావణి Sravaniధన్యవాదాలు అన్న!Dhanyavādālu anna!Thank you, brother!
- కిరణ్ Kiranపర్వాలేదు, జాగ్రత్తగా చదువుకో.Parvālēdu, jāgrattagā chaduvukō.It's okay, study carefully.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry అన్న, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries అన్న, CC BY-SA 4.0.
