Ajji
Ajji means grandmother in Kannada and Marathi — an affectionate term used especially in South India and Maharashtra.
If your child asks about ajji, tell them: "Ajji means grandmother — in Karnataka and Maharashtra, that's what children call her." Then ask them: "What is one thing your ajji or grandmother taught you that you'll never forget?" Their answer becomes a family story.
Ajji is the Kannada and Marathi word for grandmother, similar to "dadi" in Hindi or "thatha" in Tamil. In many Indian homes, ajji is the keeper of recipes, remedies, and family stories — the one who knows exactly how much haldi goes into the dal and which story will make a crying child laugh. The word carries a warmth that no translation quite captures.
"Ajji's kitchen always smelled of ghee and cardamom, even on the hottest afternoons."
"Every summer, ajji taught me a new recipe she had never written down."
"When I scraped my knee, ajji hummed an old lullaby and pressed her palm to the wound."
"Ajji could tell when any of us was upset just by the sound of our footsteps."
"She wore the same cotton saree for years, but ajji always looked new to me."
Learners sometimes use ajji for any elderly woman, but it specifically means grandmother — for other elders, use "ajji" only if they are family or very close.
What does "Ajji" mean?
Ajji means grandmother in Kannada and Marathi — an affectionate term used especially in South India and Maharashtra. If your child asks about ajji, tell them: "Ajji means grandmother — in Karnataka and Maharashtra, that's what children call her." Then ask them: "What is one thing your ajji or grandmother taught you that you'll never forget?" Their answer becomes a family story.