मायका (maaykaa)

noun A married woman's parental home/family -- one sense, culturally rich, contrasted with ससुराल (sasuraal), her marital home.
Sense 1 : a married woman's parental home
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पीहर (piihar, regional), नैहर (naihar, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word only really makes sense once a woman is married: before that, it's simply her घर (ghar), but after her byaah (byaah) her parental home gets renamed मायका (maaykaa) in relation to her new ससुराल (sasuraal). You'll hear it constantly around festivals like तीज (tiij) or रक्षाबंधन (rakshaabandhan), when married daughters traditionally visit their मायका (maaykaa) -- it carries warmth, nostalgia, and sometimes a little longing, much like the English idea of 'going home to mom's' but with deeper cultural weight tied to marriage customs.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use घर (ghar) generically for 'home' without realizing मायका (maaykaa) specifically marks the *wife's* natal home as distinct from the shared marital home -- the word encodes whose family it is, not just a location. 2) Do not confuse with ससुराल (sasuraal), the in-laws' home; the two words are conceptually paired opposites in everyday conversation about a married woman's life.
Sample Sentences:
शादी के बाद मायका थोड़ा दूर हो जाता है। After marriage, one's maternal home becomes a bit distant.
(shaadii ke baad maaykaa thodaa door ho jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हर तीज पर अपने मायके जाती है। She goes to her maternal home every Teej.
(vah har tiij par apne maayke jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस रक्षाबंधन पर मायका जाकर उसने बहुत मज़ा किया। This Rakshabandhan, she had a great time going to her maternal home.
(is rakshaabandhan par maaykaa jaakar usne bahut mazaa kiyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मायके में उसका बचपन का कमरा अब भी वैसा ही है। At her maternal home, her childhood room is still just the same.
(maayke men uskaa bachpan kaa kamraa ab bhii vaisaa hii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैं इस दिवाली अपने मायके जा पाती। If only I could go to my maternal home this Diwali.
(kaash main is divaalii apne maayke jaa paatii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अगर उसकी शादी नहीं हुई होती, तो यह घर उसका मायका न कहलाता। If she hadn't gotten married, this house would not be called her maternal home.
(agar uskii shaadii nahiin huii hotii, to yah ghar uskaa maaykaa n kahlaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Passive
मायके जाओ तो अपनी माँ के लिए कुछ मिठाई ले जाना। When you go to your maternal home, take some sweets for your mother.
(maayke jaao to apnii maan ke lie kuchh mithaaii le jaanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पहले वह हर महीने मायके जाती थी, अब साल में एक बार। She used to go to her maternal home every month before, now it's once a year.
(pahle vah har mahiine maayke jaatii thii, ab saal men ek baar।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद वह अगले हफ्ते मायके जाए, अभी तय नहीं है। Maybe she will go to her maternal home next week, it's not decided yet.
(shaayad vah agle haphte maayke jaae, abhii tay nahiin hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मायके की याद आते ही उसकी आँखों में आँसू आ जाते हैं। As soon as she remembers her maternal home, tears come to her eyes.
(maayke kii yaad aate hii uskii aankhon men aansoo aa jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेटी को उसके मायके भेज दिया गया ताकि वह अपने भाई की शादी में शामिल हो सके। The daughter was sent to her maternal home so that she could attend her brother's wedding.
(betii ko uske maayke bhej diyaa gayaa taaki vah apne bhaaii kii shaadii men shaamil ho sake।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
मायके की मिट्टी की खुशबू आज भी उसे वैसी ही लगती है। The fragrance of her maternal home's soil still feels the same to her even today.
(maayke kii mittii kii khushboo aaj bhii use vaisii hii lagtii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): मायका (maaykaa)
(sg.m.oblique): मायके (maayke)
(pl.m.direct): मायके (maayke)
(pl.m.oblique): मायकों (maaykon)