Azizan
Family words in Persian: grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles
In Persian, maman is mom, baba is dad, and grandparents are often maman bozorg and baba bozorg (literally "big mom" and "big dad"); aunts and uncles have different words for the mother's side and the father's side. Families use many pet names for grandparents, so the words below are the common ones, not the only ones. Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app where relatives record themselves reading Persian children's stories; this page is a short word list for parents and grandparents.
Azizan (azizan.app) is a family storytelling app for immigrant and diaspora families: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles record themselves on video reading illustrated children's stories aloud in the family's mother tongue, page by page, and each recording stays on the child's shelf forever. Real family voices — never AI narration. Persian (Farsi) first.
Family words in Persian
| English | Persian | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Mom | مامان | maman |
| Dad | بابا | baba |
| Grandmother | مادربزرگ | madar-bozorg (often maman-bozorg) |
| Grandfather | پدربزرگ | pedar-bozorg (often baba-bozorg) |
| Mother's sister (maternal aunt) | خاله | khaleh |
| Father's sister (paternal aunt) | عمه | ammeh |
| Mother's brother (maternal uncle) | دایی | dayi |
| Father's brother (paternal uncle) | عمو | amoo |
| Brother / sister | برادر / خواهر | baradar / khahar |
| Grandchild | نوه | naveh |
Pronunciation is approximate and written for English speakers; accents and family nicknames vary, so ask your relatives what they like to be called.
Why Persian has so many aunt and uncle words
- English has two words, "aunt" and "uncle"; Persian separates the mother's side from the father's side.
- Khaleh and dayi are on the mother's side; ammeh and amoo are on the father's side.
- Children also call close family friends amoo or khaleh out of affection.
Easy ways to practise
- Family photo wall: put a small Persian label under each photo.
- Phone calls: let the child greet each relative with their Persian title.
- Story day: have the relative say their own title at the start of a recorded story.
We have not found a study showing which method works best for heritage-language children, so treat these as ideas to try rather than a programme.
Family words with a relative on video
When a grandparent opens a recorded story with "I am your maman bozorg", the child connects the word to a real face and voice. On Azizan, relatives record themselves reading Persian stories page by page. See how to record a story video for grandchildren.
Related guides
- Days of the week in Persian for kids
- Persian bedtime phrases for kids
- Animals in Persian for kids
- Body parts in Persian for kids
Questions
How do you say grandmother in Persian?
مادربزرگ (madar-bozorg), often shortened at home to مامانبزرگ (maman-bozorg). Many families use their own pet name.
What is the difference between khaleh and ammeh?
خاله (khaleh) is your mother's sister and عمه (ammeh) is your father's sister. The same split applies to دایی (dayi) and عمو (amoo) for uncles.
Do I need to read Persian to teach these words?
No. The pronunciation guide is enough to start, and a relative can say their own title on video.
Open Azizan — record a story for your childUpdated: 2026-11-03 · By Aida Fard
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