Hausa Family Relationship Terms

Father's father

Kaka

Hausa commonly uses 'Kaka' for a grandparent of either gender or side; some families add the gender word ('Kakan namiji'/'Kakan mace') to be specific.

Father's mother

Kaka

Mother's father

Kaka

Mother's mother

Kaka

Father

Baba

Mother

Uwa

Also 'Mama.'

Father's older brother

Babangida

Literally 'big father': a father's brother is addressed like a second father, distinguished from a younger one as Babankanne.

Father's younger brother

Babankanne

Literally 'little father.'

Father's sister

Gwaggo

Mother's older brother

Kawu

No separate word by age.

Mother's younger brother

Kawu

Mother's sister

Inna

A mother's sister is often addressed like a second mother, similarly to how a father's brother is addressed like a second father.

Father's older brother's wife

Uwargida

Descriptive; often addressed like a mother figure rather than with one dedicated word.

Father's younger brother's wife

Uwargida

Mother's brother's wife

Uwargidan Kawu

Descriptive: 'wife of Kawu.'

Father's sister's husband

Surukin Gwaggo

Descriptive: 'husband of Gwaggo.'

Mother's sister's husband

Surukin Inna

Older brother

Yayan Namiji

Hausa marks sibling terms primarily by relative age (yaya = older, kanne = younger), with gender added as a modifier.

Younger brother

Kane

Older sister

Yayan Mace

Younger sister

Kanwa

Father's brother's son

Dan Baba

Hausa doesn't have one dedicated 'cousin' word: cousins are described through the parent's sibling ('child of my Baba/Kawu/Gwaggo/Inna'), and a father's brother's children are often treated like siblings.

Father's brother's daughter

'Yar Baba

Father's sister's son

Dan Gwaggo

Father's sister's daughter

'Yar Gwaggo

Mother's brother's son

Dan Kawu

Mother's brother's daughter

'Yar Kawu

Mother's sister's son

Dan Inna

Mother's sister's daughter

'Yar Inna

Son

Da

Daughter

'Ya

Grandson

Jika

'Jika' covers any grandchild, not split by gender in the base word.

Granddaughter

Jika

Son-in-law

Suruki

Daughter-in-law

Amarya

Also the everyday word for 'bride.'

Brother's son

Dan Dan'uwa

Descriptive ('sibling's son'); Hausa has no single dedicated 'nephew' word.

Sister's son

Dan Dan'uwa

Brother's daughter

'Yar Dan'uwa

Sister's daughter

'Yar Dan'uwa

Husband

Miji

Wife

Mata

Spouse's father

Suruki

The same word is also used for son-in-law: 'Suruki' broadly covers several in-law relations in Hausa.

Spouse's mother

Surukuwa

Husband's older brother

Dan'uwan Miji

Husband's younger brother

Dan'uwan Miji

Husband's sister

'Yar'uwar Miji

Wife's brother

Dan'uwan Mata

Wife's sister

'Yar'uwar Mata

Brother's wife

Amaryar Dan'uwa

Sister's husband

Surukin 'Yar'uwa