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Arabic Family Relationship Terms

What do you call your father's brother, your cousin, or your spouse's sister in Arabic? Browse or search the full chart below.

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Grandparents

Parents & Their Siblings

Siblings & Cousins

You

Spouse & In-Laws

Children, Grandchildren & Their Spouses

Full Arabic relationship chart

Grandparents

Father's father

Jadd min jihat al-ab

Literally 'grandfather from the father's side.' Everyday speech often just says 'Jadd' for either grandfather.

Father's mother

Jadda min jihat al-ab

Mother's father

Jadd min jihat al-umm

Mother's mother

Jadda min jihat al-umm

Parents & Their Siblings

Father

Ab

Mother

Umm

Father's older brother

Amm

Standard Arabic doesn't mark birth order; 'al-kabir' (older)/'al-saghir' (younger) can be added.

Father's younger brother

Amm

Father's sister

Amma

Mother's older brother

Khal

Mother's younger brother

Khal

Mother's sister

Khala

Father's older brother's wife

Zawjat al-Amm

Descriptive ('uncle's wife'), not a single dedicated word in Standard Arabic.

Father's younger brother's wife

Zawjat al-Amm

Mother's brother's wife

Zawjat al-Khal

Father's sister's husband

Zawj al-Amma

Mother's sister's husband

Zawj al-Khala

Siblings & Cousins

Older brother

Akh

No separate word by age.

Younger brother

Akh

Older sister

Ukht

Younger sister

Ukht

Father's brother's son

Ibn al-Amm

Traditionally the customary/preferred marriage partner in classical Arab tribal culture; 'ibn al-amm' is even used idiomatically to mean 'kinsman.'

Father's brother's daughter

Bint al-Amm

Father's sister's son

Ibn al-Amma

Father's sister's daughter

Bint al-Amma

Mother's brother's son

Ibn al-Khal

Mother's brother's daughter

Bint al-Khal

Mother's sister's son

Ibn al-Khala

Mother's sister's daughter

Bint al-Khala

Children, Grandchildren & Their Spouses

Son

Ibn

Daughter

Ibna / Bint

Grandson

Hafid

Granddaughter

Hafida

Son-in-law

Sihr

Also called Zawj al-ibna ('daughter's husband').

Daughter-in-law

Kanna

Also called Zawjat al-ibn ('son's wife').

Brother's son

Ibn al-Akh

Sister's son

Ibn al-Ukht

Brother's daughter

Bint al-Akh

Sister's daughter

Bint al-Ukht

Spouse & In-Laws

Husband

Zawj

Wife

Zawja

Spouse's father

Ham

Spouse's mother

Hama

Husband's older brother

Akh al-zawj

Descriptive ('husband's brother'). Everyday in-law-sibling terms vary a lot by dialect (Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Maghrebi).

Husband's younger brother

Akh al-zawj

Husband's sister

Ukht al-zawj

Wife's brother

Akh al-zawja

Wife's sister

Ukht al-zawja

Brother's wife

Zawjat al-akh

Sister's husband

Zawj al-ukht

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Frequently asked questions

How accurate are these Arabic family relationship terms?+

These terms reflect commonly used Arabic family vocabulary. Usage can vary by region, dialect, or individual family custom.

Can I browse other language and cultural traditions too?+

Yes, switch between any of the traditions above, or return to the main relationship calculator to see the full list.

Is this free to use?+

Yes, browsing every tradition's relationship chart is completely free with no sign-up required.