پوتا
potā/poː.t̪ɑː/masculine
The English word 'grandson' can be translated into Urdu as پوتا (potā) or ناتی depending on which child is the parent.
Meaning: son of one's child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| پوتا | potā | /poː.t̪ɑː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| ناتی | nātī | /nɑː.t̪iː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
In Urdu, you must distinguish between a grandson via a son and a grandson via a daughter, whereas English uses 'grandson' for both.
Which one should you use?
The term پوتا specifically refers to a paternal grandson (the son of one's son), while ناتی specifically refers to a maternal grandson (the son of one's daughter).
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the paternal term پوتا is پوتی (paternal granddaughter). For the maternal term, the feminine form is also ناتی (maternal granddaughter).
How do you pronounce it?
The word potā is pronounced /poː.t̪ɑː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Urdu culture, using the word پوتا often implies a continuation of the paternal household and family name, which carries specific social weight in traditional settings.
- The distinction between پوتا and ناتی mirrors a wider system where Urdu has separate words for 'grandfather' depending on whether he is the father's father or the mother's father.
- The term پوتا is a linguistic descendant of the Sanskrit word पौत्र, which was modified through Prakrit and Middle Hindi before entering Urdu.
Examples in context
- میرا پوتا بہت شرارتی ہے۔merā potā bahut sharāratī hai.My grandson is very naughty.
- میرا پوتا اسکول جاتا ہے۔merā potā iskūl jātā hai.My grandson goes to school.
Example conversation
Hamza and Aisha are talking about Hamza's family.
- حمزہ Hamzaمیری بیٹی کا بیٹا میرا پوتا ہے۔Meri beti ka beta mera pota hai.My daughter's son is my grandson.
- عائشہ Ayeshaوہ اب کتنے سال کا ہے؟Woh ab kitne saal ka hai?How old is he now?
- حمزہ Hamzaمیرا پوتا صرف پانچ سال کا ہے۔Mera pota sirf paanch saal ka hai.My grandson is only five years old.
- عائشہ Ayeshaماشاءاللہ، وہ بہت پیارا ہوگا۔Mashallah, woh bohat pyara hoga.Mashallah, he must be very cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandson” translations and entries پوتا, ناتی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ناتی, پوتا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
