Kinship terms: माता/माँ (mother), पिता (father), भाई (brother), बहन (sister)

Hindi nouns have a gender: Masculine or Feminine. This isn't random for people; it follows biological gender.

• Masculine: पिता (Father) and भाई (Brother).
• Feminine: माता / माँ (Mother) and बहन (Sister).

The magic happens when you attach other words to them. Since पिता is masculine, you use masculine possessives like मेरा (mera - my). Since माता is feminine, you use feminine possessives like मेरी (meri - my).

It affects verbs too! If your brother is coming, he aata hai (comes). If your sister is coming, she aati hai. Think of these four words as the anchors that determine the shape of your entire sentence. If you swap the gender, you might accidentally call your dad a "she," which is bound to get a laugh at the dinner table.

1. 1The words themselves are straightforward, but there's a "Formal vs. Informal" vibe you need to know.
2. 2Mother:
3. 3माँ (Maa): Informal, emotional, used 99% of the time at home.
4. 4माता (Mata): Formal, respectful, often used in religious contexts or official documents.
5. 5Father:
6. 6पिता (Pita): Formal. You'll see this in forms or textbooks.
7. 7पापा (Papa): What almost everyone actually says in daily life.
8. 8Brother:
9. 9भाई (Bhai): Universal. Can be your sibling or a friendly guy on the street.
10. 10भैया (Bhaiya): Affectionate variation, often for older brothers.
11. 11Sister:
12. 12बहन (Behan): Standard.
13. 13दीदी (Didi): Respectful term for an older sister.

Use these terms whenever you are introducing your family, describing them, or calling out to them.

• Introductions: "Yeh meri maa hai" (This is my mother).
• Describing: "Mera bhai lamba hai" (My brother is tall).
• Calling out: "O bhai!" (Hey brother!).

Also, use bhai and didi (older sister) socially! It is very common to call a shopkeeper bhai or a female colleague didi. It creates an instant bond, like saying "Hey bro" but with more genuine warmth.

Don't use the formal mata and pita when talking to them directly unless you are in a historical drama. Calling your dad "Pita ji" at breakfast might make him wonder if you've done something wrong or if you're rehearsing a play. Stick to Maa and Papa for chatting.

Also, be careful using bhai with a romantic interest. In India, once you call someone bhai (brother) or behan (sister), you have effectively "friend-zoned" them into the sibling zone, which is a fortress you cannot escape from. Use with caution!

The biggest hurdle is the Honorific Plural.

In Hindi, we give respect to elders (like Mom and Dad) by treating them as grammatically *plural*, even though they are one person.

• Mistake: "Mera pita aa raha hai." (My father is coming - Singular). This sounds rude, like you're talking about a kid.
• Correction: "Mere pita aa rahe hain." (My father *are* coming - Plural for respect).

For Mom, it's slightly easier because feminine plural and singular verbs often sound similar, but for Dad, you MUST switch Mera (singular) to Mere (plural respect).

In English, you say "My mother" and "My father." The word "My" never changes.

In Spanish or French, possessives change (Mi madre, Mon père). Hindi is closer to French here. Maa forces the word "My" to become Meri. Pita forces it to become Mere (out of respect).

Also, unlike English where you might use names, in Hindi, you rarely call older siblings by name. You use Bhaiya (older brother) or Didi (older sister) attached to their name or on its own. Calling your big brother just "Rahul"? That's a bold move, soldier.

Q: Can I call my friend bhai?

Absolutely. It's the Hindi equivalent of "bro" or "dude."

Q: Is mata wrong to use for Mom?

Not wrong, just very formal. It's like calling your mom "Mother" instead of "Mom."

Q: Why do I hear behan pronounced like 'bain'?

Good ear! In spoken Hindi, the 'h' in behan often gets very soft, making it sound like 'bain'.

Q: Do I really have to use plural for Dad?

Yes. Using singular for a parent sounds uneducated or disrespectful. Fake it 'til you make it!