خالَہ
xālafeminine
The English phrase "aunt" translates to Urdu. The default form is خالَہ (xāla). Wiktionary also lists ماسی (māsī) and پھوپھی (phophī).
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| خالَہ | xāla | feminine | |
| ماسی | māsī | /mɑː.siː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
| پھوپھی | phophī | feminine |
In Urdu, unlike English, you must distinguish between maternal and paternal aunts using specific kinship terms. The term 'ji' can be added to a name to show respect towards an aunt.
Which one should you use?
The term خالَہ specifically refers to a maternal aunt, which is the mother's sister. In contrast, the term پھوپھی specifically refers to a paternal aunt, which is the father's sister.
How does it change in a sentence?
All the provided forms for aunt are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
xāla
Did you know?
- The word ماسی is a linguistic relative of the English word 'mother' through their shared Proto-Indo-European root *méh₂tēr.
- In many South Asian cultures, you might call an older woman خالَہ or پھوپھی even if you are not related to her.
- While خالَہ and پھوپھی are standard, the word ماسی is often associated with specific regional identities in Punjab and Sindh.
Examples in context
- Assalam-o-Alaikum, Phuppo Saima! (السلام علیکم، پھوپھو سائمہ!)Greetings, Aunt Saima!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries ماسی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ماسی, CC BY-SA 4.0.
