Everyday Sami Vocabulary For Family And Relatives
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Learning how to talk about your family is a foundational step in any language journey.
Sami culture places an incredibly high value on kinship and extended family networks.
You’ll quickly find that Sami has a rich and highly specific vocabulary for relatives.
I’ll walk you through the most common family terms used in everyday conversation.
Most of these examples focus on Northern Sami, which is the most widely spoken Sami language.
Table of Contents:
The importance of family in Sami culture
In Sami culture, family extends far beyond just parents and siblings.
The traditional way of life relies heavily on cooperation within the extended family.
Because of this, the language separates the immediate family from the wider kinship network.
The word for your immediate, core family is bearaš.
When you want to talk about your extended family, clan, or broader kinship network, you use the word sohkagoddi.
This distinction highlights how Sami people view their place within the community.
Immediate family members
Your immediate family includes your parents, siblings, and children.
These are the most common words you’ll use when introducing your household to someone.
Here’s a list of the core family vocabulary in Northern Sami.
| English | Northern Sami |
|---|---|
| Family (immediate) | bearaš |
| Mother | eadni |
| Father | áhčči |
| Daughter | nieida |
| Son | bárdni |
| Sister | oabbá |
| Brother | viellja |
Keep in mind that regional variations exist across the different Sami languages.
For example, in South Sami, the word for mother is tjidtjie and father is aehtjie.
If you’re just starting out, sticking to the Northern Sami terms is the most practical choice.
Nuances in Sami kinship terms
The most unique aspect of Sami family vocabulary is how it categorizes aunts and uncles.
In English, we just use “aunt” or “uncle” regardless of their age or which side of the family they belong to.
The Sami language is much more specific.
Sami kinship terms tell you exactly how a person is related to your parents.
They also tell you whether that aunt or uncle is older or younger than your parent.
This system helped traditional Sami communities instantly understand social hierarchies and family roles.
| English | Northern Sami |
|---|---|
| Mother’s older sister | goaski |
| Mother’s younger sister | muoŧŧá |
| Mother’s brother (any age) | eanu |
| Father’s older brother | eahki |
| Father’s younger brother | čeahci |
| Father’s sister (any age) | siessá |
You’ll notice that there’s no distinction made for the age of a father’s sister or a mother’s brother.
The age distinction only applies to the same-sex siblings of your parents.
Extended family and relatives
Grandparents and cousins also play a massive role in the sohkagoddi.
The terms for cousins in Sami literally translate to “half-brother” and “half-sister”.
This shows how closely cousins are viewed within the Sami family structure.
| English | Northern Sami |
|---|---|
| Extended family / Kin | sohkagoddi |
| Grandmother | áhkku |
| Grandfather | áddjá |
| Grandchild | mánáidmánná |
| Female cousin | oambealli |
| Male cousin | vilbealli |
It’s also common to use áhkku and áddjá as respectful terms for elderly people in the community, even if you’re not directly related to them.
Using family terms in conversation
Now let’s look at how to use these vocabulary words in practical situations.
When you meet someone new, they might ask you about your siblings.
Leat go dus vieljat dahje oappát?
You can respond by stating how many siblings you have.
Mus lea okta viellja.
If you’re introducing your family members to a guest, you can use the word dát (this).
Dát lea mu eadni.
Dát lea mu čeahci.
Practice these terms by drawing out your own family tree and labeling each person with their correct Sami title.
