Words across Indian languages
Brother in Indian languages
The word for “brother” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | అన్న | anna |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | அண்ணன் | aṇṇaṉ |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ಅಣ್ಣ | aṇṇa |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | भाई | bhāī |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | ভাই | bhāi |
In Telugu
Brother in Telugu
అన్న
anna
Also: Anna, Annayya, Tammuḍu
"Anna" is elder brother; "tammuḍu" (తమ్ముడు) is younger brother.
In Tamil
Brother in Tamil
அண்ணன்
aṇṇaṉ
Also: Annan, Anna, Thambi
"Annan" is elder brother; "thambi" (தம்பி) is younger brother.
In Kannada
Brother in Kannada
ಅಣ್ಣ
aṇṇa
Also: Anna, Tamma
"Anna" is elder brother; "tamma" (ತಮ್ಮ) is younger brother.
In Hindi
Brother in Hindi
भाई
bhāī
Also: Bhai, Bhaiya
In Bengali
Brother in Bengali
ভাই
bhāi
Also: Bhai, Dada
"Bhai" is brother; "dada" (দাদা) is elder brother in casual address.
Brother across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Brother" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: అన్న (anna). In Tamil: அண்ணன் (aṇṇaṉ). In Kannada: ಅಣ್ಣ (aṇṇa). In Hindi: भाई (bhāī). In Bengali: ভাই (bhāi).
Is the word for "Brother" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses అన్న; Tamil uses அண்ணன்; Kannada uses ಅಣ್ಣ; Hindi uses भाई; Bengali uses ভাই. Some share roots (Hindi and Bengali both descend from Sanskrit) and others are completely independent (Tamil is from a different language family).
Which Indian languages share the word for "Brother"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "brother".
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