भतीजी
bhatījī/bʱə.t̪iː.d͡ʒiː/feminine
In Hindi, the English word "niece" is translated using two different terms depending on whether the niece is the daughter of your brother or your sister. If unsure, use भतीजी (bhatījī). Wiktionary also lists भांजी (bhāñjī).
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| भतीजी | bhatījī | /bʱə.t̪iː.d͡ʒiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
| भांजी | bhāñjī | /bʱɑːn.d͡ʒiː/ (Hindi, Standard) | feminine |
In Hindi, you must specify the biological relationship to the niece. You use one word to identify a brother's daughter and another to identify a sister's daughter.
Which one should you use?
The form भतीजी is used specifically to refer to a brother's daughter. In contrast, the form भांजी refers specifically to a sister's daughter.
How does it change in a sentence?
The terms are gender-specific. For the brother's side, the feminine भतीजी has the masculine form भतीजा (brother's son). For the sister's side, the feminine भांजी has the masculine form भांजा (sister's son).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of bhatījī is /bʱə.t̪iː.dʒiː/.
Did you know?
- The word for a sister's daughter, भांजी, shares its ancient roots with the Sanskrit word भाग, meaning 'fate' or 'share'.
- The distinction between भतीजी and भांजी is not just a linguistic nuance but a tool used to define a person's specific place within a traditional joint family structure.
- Because Hindi distinguishes between भतीजी and भांजी, a speaker can tell exactly which sibling is the parent without needing any further context.
Examples in context
- मेरी भतीजी बहुत प्यारी है।merī bhatījī bahut pyārī hai.My niece is very lovely.
- वह मेरी छोटी भतीजी है।vah merī choṭī bhatījī hai.She is my little niece.
- क्या आपकी भतीजी स्कूल जाती है?kyā āpkī bhatījī skūl jātī hai?Does your niece go to school?
Example conversation
Aditya and Anjali are looking at a family photo.
- आदित्य Adityaयह छोटी बच्ची कौन है?Yeh chhoti bacchi kaun hai?Who is this little girl?
- अंजलि Anjaliयह मेरी भतीजी है।Yeh meri bhatiji hai.This is my niece.
- आदित्य Adityaवह बहुत सुंदर है।Vah bahut sundar hai.She is very beautiful.
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, वह बहुत नटखट भी है।Haan, vah bahut natkhat bhi hai.Yes, she is very naughty too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations and entries भतीजी, भांजी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries भतीजी, भांजी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
