Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| भतीजा | bhatījā | /bʱə.t̪iː.d͡ʒɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| भांजा | bhāñjā | /bʱɑːn.d͡ʒɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
Hindi does not have one general word that covers every nephew. Choose the word by asking whose son he is. For your brother's son say भतीजा, for your sister's son say भांजा.
Which one should you use?
भतीजा refers specifically to a brother's son, whereas भांजा refers to a sister's son. The same split applies when a woman talks about her husband's or her own siblings' children, so the word always follows the sibling who is the boy's parent.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both words are masculine nouns ending in a. When followed by a postposition like ka, ko or ne, they change to the oblique forms भतीजे and भांजे.
How do you pronounce it?
Say भतीजा as bhatījā, IPA /bʱə.t̪iː.dʒɑː/, in three syllables. The bh is a b with a breath of air after it, and the t is dental.
What mistakes should you avoid?
A common slip is using भतीजा for a sister's son. Use भांजा in that case.
Did you know?
- The word भतीजा is a distant relative of the English word 'brother' through their shared ancient roots in the Indo-European language family.
- In Hindi, the words for nephew are part of a vast kinship system where almost every relative has a unique name based on their exact position in the family tree.
- Hindi treats the distinction between a brother's son and a sister's son as a fundamental difference, reflecting a historical cultural emphasis on paternal and maternal lineages.
Examples in context
- चाची अपने भतीजे का ख़्याल रखती हैं।The aunt takes care of her nephew.भतीजे is the oblique form, used here because का follows it.
- मेरा भतीजा बहुत शरारती है।merā bhatījā bahut śarāratī hai.My nephew is very naughty.
Example conversation
Rahul and Neha are looking at a photo album.
- राहुल Rahulयह मेरा भतीजा है।Yeh mera bhatija hai.This is my nephew.
- नेहा Nehaवह बहुत प्यारा है!Woh bahut pyara hai!He is very cute!
- राहुल Rahulहाँ, वह बिल्कुल मेरे जैसा है।Haan, woh bilkul mere jaisa hai.Yes, he is just like me.
- नेहा Nehaवह कितने साल का है?Woh kitne saal ka hai?How old is he?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nephew” translations and entries भतीजा, भांजा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries भतीजा, भांजा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
