Words across Indian languages
Mother in Indian languages
The word for “mother” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | అమ్మ | amma |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | அம்மா | ammā |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ಅಮ್ಮ | amma |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | माँ | māṁ |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | মা | mā |
In Telugu
Mother in Telugu
అమ్మ
amma
Also: Amma, Mom, Tallī
మా అమ్మ చాలా మంచిది
mā amma chālā maṅchidi
“My mother is very kind.”
In Tamil
Mother in Tamil
அம்மா
ammā
In Kannada
Mother in Kannada
ಅಮ್ಮ
amma
Also: Amma, Mom, Avva, Tayi
In Hindi
Mother in Hindi
माँ
māṁ
Also: Maa, Ma, Mom, Mummy, Mata, Mataji
In Bengali
Mother in Bengali
মা
mā
Also: Maa, Ma, Mom, Mama
Mother across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Mother" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: అమ్మ (amma). In Tamil: அம்மா (ammā). In Kannada: ಅಮ್ಮ (amma). In Hindi: माँ (māṁ). In Bengali: মা (mā).
Is the word for "Mother" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses అమ్మ; Tamil uses அம்மா; Kannada uses ಅಮ್ಮ; Hindi uses माँ; Bengali uses মা. 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 "Mother"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "mother".
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