අය්යා
ayyā
The English word 'brother' is translated into Sinhala as අය්යා (ayyā) or මල්ලි.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Sinhala | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| අය්යා | ayyā |
| මල්ලි | malli |
In Sinhala, the word used for brother depends on whether the person is older or younger than you. අය්යා is an informal way to address an older brother, similar to the English term 'bro'. මල්ලි is a term used to refer to a younger brother.
Which one should you use?
අය්යා is used specifically for an older brother, whereas මල්ලි is used specifically for a younger brother.
How do you pronounce it?
ayyā
When do people say it?
In Sinhala culture, these terms are frequently used as honorifics for any male who is older than the speaker, even if they are not biological siblings. For example, you can use අය්යා for an older male. Similarly, the term මල්ලි is often used to address younger males in social settings to show a sense of familiarity or friendliness.
Did you know?
- In a crowded market or a taxi, you might call a complete stranger අය්යා to get their attention politely. It creates an immediate sense of social connection through a simulated kinship.
- In traditional Sri Lankan households, the eldest brother අය්යා often carries a social responsibility and authority similar to a father figure for the younger siblings.
- In some very formal or literary contexts, different Sanskrit-derived words for 'brother' might appear, but in the daily life of a Colombo street or a rural village, අය්යා and මල්ලි are the standard.
Examples in context
- මගේ අය්යා ගෙදර එනවා.mage ayya gedara enava.My older brother is coming home.
- අය්යා හරිම කරුණාවන්තයි.ayya harima karunavanthayi.My brother is very kind.
- අය්යා අද වැඩට යන්නේ නෑ.ayya ada vadaṭa yanne na.My brother is not going to work today.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a family visit.
- ඉෂානි Ishaniඔයාගේ අය්යා කොහේද?oyage ayya koheda?Where is your brother?
- රොෂාන් Roshanමගේ අය්යා දැන් ඉන්නේ නුවර.mage ayya dan inne nuwara.My brother is in Kandy now.
- ඉෂානි Ishaniඑයා එන්නේ කවදාද?eya enne kavadada?When is he coming?
- රොෂාන් Roshanඅය්යා ලබන සතියේ එයි.ayya labana sathiye ei.My brother will come next week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
