సోదరి
sōdari
The English word sister is translated into Telugu as సోదరి (sōdari). Wiktionary also lists అక్క (akka) and అక్కయ్య (akkayya).
Meaning: woman or girl having the same parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Telugu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| సోదరి | sōdari | |
| అక్క | akka | /akːa/ |
| అక్కయ్య | akkayya | |
| చెల్లి | celli | /t͡ɕelːi/ |
| చెల్లెలు | cellelu |
The word sister refers to a woman or girl having the same parents. While సోదరి describes the biological relationship, daily conversation uses different terms depending on whether the sister is older or younger.
Which one should you use?
The term సోదరి is a formal, biological term for a sister used in literature or formal speech. In contrast, అక్క and అక్కయ్య are used for an elder sister, while చెల్లి and చెల్లెలు are used for a younger sister. చెల్లెలు serves as a standard, slightly more formal version of the colloquial చెల్లి.
How do you pronounce it?
sōdari
When do people say it?
In Telugu culture, the term అక్క is often used to address any woman slightly older than oneself as a sign of respect, even if there is no biological relation.
Did you know?
- The word సోదరి is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'belly' or 'stomach', literally meaning 'born from the same womb'.
- Unlike English where 'sister' is a neutral label, the choice between అక్క and చెల్లి immediately establishes the social hierarchy between the speakers.
- Telugu speakers often use అక్క to address female shopkeepers or strangers to create a friendly and respectful social bond.
Examples in context
- మా అక్కకి టెన్నిసంటే పిచ్చిMy sister is crazy about tennis.This sentence shows how to use the term అక్క when talking about a sister's interests.Tatoeba #7204120 by bharath, translation #245574 by CK
- ఆమె నా సోదరి.Aame naa sodari.She is my sister.
Example conversation
Pallavi and Kiran are talking about their families.
- పల్లవి Pallaviమీకు సోదరి ఉన్నారా?mīku sōdari unnārā?Do you have a sister?
- కిరణ్ Kiranఅవును, నాకు ఒక సోదరి ఉంది.avunu, nāku oka sōdari undi.Yes, I have a sister.
- పల్లవి Pallaviఆమె ఎక్కడ చదువుకుంటోంది?āme ekkaḍa chaduvukuṇṭōndi?Where is she studying?
- కిరణ్ Kiranఆమె హైదరాబాద్లో చదువుకుంటోంది.āme hyderābādlō chaduvukuṇṭōndi.She is studying in Hyderabad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sister” translations and entries సోదరి, అక్క, చెల్లి, చెల్లెలు, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries అక్క, చెల్లి, సోదరి, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
