SanskritThe Sanskrit words for family and body are the ancestors of the Hindi ones, and seeing them side by side is a lesson in how language changes. माता became माँ, भ्राता became भाई, हस्तः became हाथ, दन्तः became दाँत, कर्णः became कान. Words that kept their Sanskrit form in Hindi are called तत्सम; words that changed are called तद्भव. School Hindi papers ask for exactly these pairs.
Each word is given in the first case, singular, which is the form you would use as the doer in a sentence. The ending shows the gender: -ः is usually masculine, -आ or -ई feminine, -म् neuter. The words for relations ending in -ता (माता, पिता, भ्राता) come from stems in -तृ and have their own table; you will meet पितृ and मातृ in compounds such as पितृभक्तिः and मातृभूमिः.
माता
mātā
माँ
mother
पिता
pitā
पिता
father
भ्राता
bhrātā
भाई
brother
भगिनी
bhaginī
बहन
sister
पुत्रः
putrah
बेटा
son
पुत्री
putrī
बेटी
daughter
पितामहः
pitāmahah
दादा
father's father
पितामही
pitāmahī
दादी
father's mother
मातामहः
mātāmahah
नाना
mother's father
मातामही
mātāmahī
नानी
mother's mother
पितृव्यः
pitrivyah
चाचा
father's brother
मातुलः
mātulah
मामा
mother's brother
मित्रम्
mitram
मित्र, दोस्त
friend
गुरुः
guruh
गुरु, शिक्षक
teacher
शिरः
shirah
सिर
head
नेत्रम्
netram
आँख
eye
कर्णः
karnah
कान
ear
नासिका
nāsikā
नाक
nose
मुखम्
mukham
मुँह, चेहरा
mouth; face
दन्तः
dantah
दाँत
tooth
जिह्वा
jihvā
जीभ
tongue
हस्तः
hastah
हाथ
hand
पादः
pādah
पैर
foot
हृदयम्
hridayam
हृदय, दिल
heart
उदरम्
udaram
पेट
stomach
Use them in sentences
- मम माता शिक्षिका अस्ति। My mother is a teacher.
- मम द्वौ हस्तौ स्तः। I have two hands. (Note the dual: हस्तौ, and the dual verb स्तः.)
- अहं नेत्राभ्यां पश्यामि। I see with my (two) eyes. The third case, dual, shows the means.
- अहं कर्णाभ्यां शृणोमि। I hear with my ears.
मित्रम् (friend) is neuter in Sanskrit even when the friend is a man, a small surprise that examiners like to ask about.