Gujarati Family Relationship Names Explained (English to Gujarati Guide)

If you've ever been at a Gujarati wedding or family gathering and felt lost trying to figure out who's a "kaka" and who's a "mama," you're not alone. Gujarati, like most Indian languages, doesn't use one generic word for "uncle" or "aunt." Instead, it has a specific term for almost every branch of the family, and knowing them is a genuine act of respect, not just vocabulary. This guide breaks down the most common Gujarati family relationship names so you can use them correctly and understand how they fit into the wider family tree.

Why Gujarati Has So Many Relationship Words

In English, "uncle" covers your father's brother, your mother's brother, and both of their spouses' brothers. Gujarati keeps these relationships distinct because the word itself tells you exactly how someone connects to the family: whether they're on your father's side or your mother's, older or younger, by blood or by marriage. This precision is common across Indian languages and reflects how central the joint family structure has traditionally been in Gujarati culture.

Immediate Family

English	Gujarati	Transliteration
Father	પિતા / બાપુજી	Pita / Bapuji
Mother	માતા / બા	Mata / Ba
Older brother	મોટો ભાઈ	Moto Bhai
Younger brother	નાનો ભાઈ	Nano Bhai
Older sister	મોટી બહેન	Moti Ben
Younger sister	નાની બહેન	Nani Ben
Son	દીકરો	Dikro
Daughter	દીકરી	Dikri

Grandparents

English	Gujarati	Transliteration
Paternal grandfather	દાદા	Dada
Paternal grandmother	દાદી	Dadi
Maternal grandfather	નાના	Nana
Maternal grandmother	નાની	Nani

Notice the pattern: paternal grandparents are Dada and Dadi, while maternal grandparents are Nana and Nani. This split by side of the family shows up throughout Gujarati kinship terms.

Aunts, Uncles, and Their Spouses

This is where Gujarati really diverges from English:

• Kaka - father's younger brother
• Kaki - Kaka's wife
• Moto Bapa (also called Mota Kaka in some families) - father's elder brother
• Foi - father's sister
• Fua - Foi's husband
• Mama - mother's brother
• Mami - Mama's wife
• Masi - mother's sister
• Masa - Masi's husband

So while English speakers say "uncle" for four different men in the family, a Gujarati speaker automatically signals whether that uncle is on mom's side or dad's, older or younger than a parent, and by blood or by marriage.

In-Laws

Marriage brings its own set of terms, since a Gujarati household has traditionally welcomed a daughter-in-law into the husband's family:

• Sasu - mother-in-law
• Sasra - father-in-law
• Jeth - husband's older brother
• Dyar - husband's younger brother
• Nanand - husband's sister
• Salo - wife's brother
• Sali - wife's sister

Cousins

Gujarati generally doesn't have separate words for "cousin" the way English does. Instead, cousins are addressed as "bhai" (brother) or "ben" (sister), often with the connecting relative named alongside, such as "kaka na dikra" (paternal uncle's son) or "mama ni dikri" (maternal uncle's daughter). This reflects a broader cultural pattern: cousins raised together are often treated with the same closeness as siblings, so the language reflects that closeness rather than marking distance.

Quick Reference Table

Relation	Gujarati Term
Father's brother (younger)	Kaka
Father's brother (elder)	Moto Bapa
Father's sister	Foi
Mother's brother	Mama
Mother's sister	Masi
Husband's sister	Nanand
Husband's older brother	Jeth
Wife's brother	Salo

Keeping These Terms Straight in Your Own Family Tree

If your family speaks Gujarati at home, these terms are worth recording alongside names and dates when you build out your family tree. English-language "uncle" and "aunt" labels flatten distinctions that mattered enormously to how relationships actually worked, and that your grandparents' generation likely used every day. Recording the actual Gujarati term next to each relative preserves a piece of the culture, not just the connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Gujarati word for uncle?

There isn't one single word. It depends on which side of the family and which type of uncle: Kaka (father's younger brother), Moto Bapa (father's elder brother), Mama (mother's brother), or Fua and Masa (an aunt's husband).

What do you call your father's sister in Gujarati?

Foi. Her husband is called Fua.

What is the Gujarati term for mother's sister?

Masi. Her husband is called Masa.

Is there a Gujarati word for cousin?

Not a single dedicated word. Cousins are typically called "bhai" (brother) or "ben" (sister), usually with the connecting relative mentioned, like "mama na dikra" for a maternal uncle's son.

Why do Gujarati and other Indian languages have so many specific family terms compared to English?

Because the exact relationship, which side of the family, birth order, and blood versus marriage, historically mattered for roles and responsibilities within a joint family household. The vocabulary reflects that structure.

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