ਮਮੇਰਾ ਭਰਾMamera BhraCousin (Maternal Uncle's Son)
Mamera Bhra (ਮਮੇਰਾ ਭਰਾ) is your maternal uncle's son — the son of your Mama, your mother's brother. In Punjabi he is a brother with a prefix, not a cousin, and the prefix says the bond runs through your mother's side.
How your Mamera Bhra connects to you
Who is your Mamera Bhra?
For generations of Punjabi children, the mamera bhra has been the companion of the school holidays. Summers meant going to the nanke — the mother's parental village — where the mama's sons were your instant playmates in the fields and lanes. The relationship inherits the warmth of the mama-bhanja bond one generation on: your mother and his father are siblings who never let marriage loosen their tie, and the children grow up belonging to each other's houses without formality.
How it's used
Mamera bhra is the explaining phrase; among yourselves it is names, or simply veer. Example: "ਗਰਮੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਛੁੱਟੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੈਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਮੇਰੇ ਭਰਾ ਨਾਲ ਨਾਨਕੇ ਖੇਡਦਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਸੀ" (Garmian dian chhuttian vich main aapne mamere bhra naal nanke khedda hunda si) — "In the summer holidays I used to play with my cousin at our maternal grandparents' village."
Where Mamera Bhra comes from
Mamera marks the mama route: your mother's brother's son.
Mamera Bhra vs similar terms
A chachera bhra shares your father's clan and surname; a mamera bhra belongs to your mother's natal family and shares your nanke instead. Seen from his side, you are his phuphera bhra, because your mother is his bhua.
Did you know?
In Punjabi every first cousin is a brother or sister with a prefix — mamera, chachera, phuphera or masera — so there is simply no word for the vague English 'cousin'.
Frequently asked questions
What does Mamera Bhra mean in Punjabi?
Mamera Bhra (ਮਮੇਰਾ ਭਰਾ) means the son of your mama, your mother's brother. He is a maternal cousin counted as a brother, and traditionally the playmate of holiday visits to the nanke, your mother's parental home.
What is the difference between Mamera Bhra and Chachera Bhra?
A mamera bhra comes through your mother's brother and belongs to her side of the family, while a chachera bhra comes through your father's younger brother and shares your own family name. The prefixes mamera and chachera mark maternal versus paternal.
Related terms
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