नातिन (naatin)

noun This is a single-sense kinship term meaning 'granddaughter' -- specifically the daughter's daughter, mirroring the male form नाती (naatii, 'grandson through a daughter').
Sense 1 : granddaughter (daughter's daughter)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: पोती (potii, son's daughter, not fully interchangeable)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi kinship vocabulary is famously precise about which side of the family someone belongs to, and नातिन (naatin) is a good example: a grandmother will call her son's daughter पोती (potii) but her daughter's daughter नातिन (naatin), and the distinction matters at family gatherings where lineage is often discussed explicitly. This mirrors the same maternal/paternal split seen in words like मामा (maamaa, mother's brother) versus चाचा (chaachaa, father's brother).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use नातिन (naatin) and पोती (potii) interchangeably, but Hindi kinship terms distinguish the maternal and paternal lines: नातिन (naatin) is specifically through a daughter, while पोती (potii) is through a son. 2) Its male counterpart is नाती (naatii), not नातिन (naatin) with a gender-swap ending alone -- the two are related but not a simple -ा/-ी pair like most nouns, so both forms need to be learned separately.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी नातिन दिल्ली में रहती है। My granddaughter lives in Delhi.
(merii naatin dillii men rahtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरी नातिन इस बार गर्मियों की छुट्टियों में हमारे घर आई थी। My granddaughter came to our house this summer vacation.
(merii naatin is baar garmiyon kii chhuttiyon men hamaare ghar aaii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसकी नातिन अभी स्कूल से लौट रही है। Her granddaughter is just now returning from school.
(uskii naatin abhii skool se laut rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगले महीने मेरी नातिन की शादी होगी। My granddaughter's wedding will take place next month.
(agle mahiine merii naatin kii shaadii hogii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरी बेटी यहीं रहती, तो मेरी नातिन भी पास ही होती। If my daughter lived here, my granddaughter would be nearby too.
(agar merii betii yahiin rahtii, to merii naatin bhii paas hii hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
काश मेरी नातिन इस बार दिवाली पर आ पाती। I wish my granddaughter could have come this Diwali.
(kaash merii naatin is baar divaalii par aa paatii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
बेटा, अपनी नातिन को मेरे पास ले आओ। Son, bring your granddaughter to me.
(betaa, apnii naatin ko mere paas le aao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
परिवार की बैठक में सबने पूछा कि यह पोती है या नातिन। At the family gathering, everyone asked whether this was a son's daughter or a daughter's daughter.
(parivaar kii baithak men sabne poochhaa ki yah potii hai yaa naatin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दादी की गोद में उनकी नातिन बैठी है। Her granddaughter is sitting in grandmother's lap.
(daadii kii god men unkii naatin baithii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह उपहार मेरी नातिन के लिए भेजा गया था। This gift was sent for my granddaughter.
(yah upahaar merii naatin ke lie bhejaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): नातिन (naatin)
(sg.f.oblique): नातिन (naatin)
(pl.f.direct): नातिनें (naatinen)
(pl.f.oblique): नातिनों (naatinon)