Words across Indian languages
Father in Indian languages
The word for “father” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | నాన్న | nānna |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | அப்பா | appā |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ಅಪ್ಪ | appa |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | पिता | pitā |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | বাবা | baba |
In Telugu
Father in Telugu
నాన్న
nānna
Also: Naanna, Nanna, Dad, Tandri
In Tamil
Father in Tamil
அப்பா
appā
In Kannada
Father in Kannada
ಅಪ್ಪ
appa
Also: Appa, Dad, Tande
In Hindi
Father in Hindi
पिता
pitā
Also: Pita, Papa, Pitaji, Dad, Daddy
In Bengali
Father in Bengali
বাবা
baba
Also: Baba, Babu, Dad
Father across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Father" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: నాన్న (nānna). In Tamil: அப்பா (appā). In Kannada: ಅಪ್ಪ (appa). In Hindi: पिता (pitā). In Bengali: বাবা (baba).
Is the word for "Father" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses నాన్న; Tamil uses அப்பா; Kannada uses ಅಪ್ಪ; Hindi uses पिता; Bengali uses বাবা. 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 "Father"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "father".
Learn Indian languages with the Bhasha app
Daily 5-minute lessons, audio from native speakers, progress tracking and 1,000+ words. Free to start — first 8 units unlocked, no card required.
- ✓ Native-speaker audio
- ✓ Offline lessons
- ✓ Progress sync
- ✓ Ad-free for kids