Words across Indian languages
Sister in Indian languages
The word for “sister” in 5 Indian languages — native script, pronunciation and example sentences in each.
| Language | Native script | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Telugu (తెలుగు) | అక్క | akka |
| Tamil (தமிழ்) | அக்கா | akkā |
| Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) | ಅಕ್ಕ | akka |
| Hindi (हिन्दी) | बहन | bahan |
| Bengali (বাংলা) | বোন | bon |
In Telugu
Sister in Telugu
అక్క
akka
Also: Akka, Chellelu
"Akka" is elder sister; "chellelu" (చెల్లెలు) is younger sister.
In Tamil
Sister in Tamil
அக்கா
akkā
Also: Akka, Thangai
"Akka" is elder sister; "thangai" (தங்கை) is younger sister.
In Kannada
Sister in Kannada
ಅಕ್ಕ
akka
Also: Akka, Tangi
"Akka" is elder sister; "tangi" (ತಂಗಿ) is younger sister.
In Hindi
Sister in Hindi
बहन
bahan
Also: Bahen, Behen, Didi
In Bengali
Sister in Bengali
বোন
bon
Also: Bon, Didi
"Didi" (দিদি) is the elder-sister honorific used in everyday speech.
Sister across Indian languages — frequently asked
How do you say "Sister" in Indian languages?
In Telugu: అక్క (akka). In Tamil: அக்கா (akkā). In Kannada: ಅಕ್ಕ (akka). In Hindi: बहन (bahan). In Bengali: বোন (bon).
Is the word for "Sister" the same in all Indian languages?
No — each language has its own word and script. Telugu uses అక్క; Tamil uses அக்கா; Kannada uses ಅಕ್ಕ; Hindi uses बहन; Bengali uses বোন. 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 "Sister"?
Each of the 5 languages we cover (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali) has its own distinct word for "sister".
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