கணவன்
kaṇavaṉ/kɐɳɐʋɐn/
To say husband in Tamil, use கணவன் (kaṇavaṉ). Wiktionary also lists அம்படையன் (ampaṭaiyaṉ).
Meaning: male partner in marriage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tamil | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| கணவன் | kaṇavaṉ | /kɐɳɐʋɐn/ |
| அம்படையன் | ampaṭaiyaṉ |
கணவன் (kaṇavaṉ) is the standard word for a married man in relation to his wife. It appears in writing and in speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking respectfully about someone's husband, Tamil speakers often use a respectful form that ends differently from கணவன்.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kaṇavaṉ and the IPA is /kɐɳɐʋɐn/. The ṇ is made with the tongue curled back, and the v is softer than in English, between v and w.
When do people say it?
Traditionally many Tamil wives avoided saying their husband's name aloud and referred to him indirectly.
Did you know?
- In some traditional settings, a woman might refer to her husband as வீட்டுப் பிள்ளை (vīṭṭuppillai), which literally translates to 'the boy of the house'.
- In classical Sangam literature, a wife might refer to her husband as உயிரே (uyirē), meaning 'my life', to express the depth of her devotion.
- The word கணவன் may be poetically linked to the Tamil word கண், meaning 'eye', implying a husband is as precious as one's own eye.
Examples in context
- அவர் ஒரு நல்ல கணவன்.avar oru nalla kanavan.He is a good husband.
- என் கணவன் வேலைக்குச் சென்றார்.en kanavan velaikku chendrar.My husband went to work.
- அவருடைய கணவன் எங்கே?avarudaiya kanavan enge?Where is her husband?
Example conversation
Anita is introducing her husband to a colleague.
- அனிதா Anitaஅருண், இவர்தான் என் கணவன்.Arun, ivartān en kaṇavan.Arun, this is my husband.
- அருண் Arunஉங்களை சந்திப்பதில் மகிழ்ச்சி.Uṅgaḷai cantippatil makaḻcci.Nice to meet you.
- அனிதா Anitaஅவர் ஒரு மருத்துவர்.Avar oru maruttuvar.He is a doctor.
- அருண் Arunமிகவும் சிறப்பு!Mikavum ciṟappu!That is very impressive!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries கணவன், CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries கணவன், CC BY-SA 4.0.
