Immediate Family in Kannada Transliteration: Mother, Father and Older Siblings
For immediate family, use the focused set for “My mother,” “My father,” “My older sister,” and “Elder brother.” Treat the first four as relationship references, while the forms glossed “Yes,” “Okay,” and “Oh” are short reactions. Keep the sibling age detail: older sister and elder brother are not generic sibling labels.
Start with these expressions
| English | Transliteration | Native script |
|---|---|---|
| My mother | nanna amma | ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ |
| My father | nanna appa | ನನ್ನ ಅಪ್ಪ |
| My older sister | nanna akka | ನನ್ನ ಅಕ್ಕ |
| Elder brother | anna | ಅಣ್ಣ |
| Yes, my mother. | haan nanna amma | ಹಾಂ ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ |
| Okay, my father. | sari nanna appa | ಸರಿ ನನ್ನ ಅಪ್ಪ |
| Oh, my older sister. | are nanna akka | ಅರೆ ನನ್ನ ಅಕ್ಕ |
Choose a relationship reference or a short reaction
Use the direct family-reference forms when you are naming or identifying a relative: “My mother,” “My father,” “My older sister,” or “Elder brother.” The first three are compact references rather than complete sentences with an explicit verb. In the displayed transliterations, the possessive-looking element comes before the family term; the dictionary records nanna as “mine” [2] and amma as “mother” [3]. Treat that as a useful pattern to notice in these examples, not as a complete grammar rule for every Kannada phrase.
The forms beginning with “Yes,” “Okay,” and “Oh” are different: they are short utterances that include a response or exclamation before the family reference. Choose one when the situation calls for a reaction, rather than when you are simply labelling the person. Also preserve the age information. The elder-brother term is documented as “elder brother” and as a respectful way to address an older male [1]. Therefore, do not automatically use it for every brother. This is a focused starter set, not a complete inventory of immediate-family vocabulary.
[1] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[2] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[3] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
Try it
You are showing a family photo and want to identify your mother, not respond “yes,” “okay,” or “oh.” Which phrase should you choose?
Choose your answer before reading on.
Check your answer:
Use expression 1 in the table above.
Choose the direct “My mother” reference. It identifies the relationship without adding the response or exclamation found in the other short utterances.
Practise the choice in two situations: first identify a relative, then react about one. Keep “older” when referring to an older sibling.
Practise speaking with Bhol. Learn words and sentences written in English letters.
