Writing
Personal details in marriage biodata: how to write each field
Personal details are the first block a family reads, and they decide from it whether to read on. Small things go wrong here: an age that is a year out of date, height written as “5.6”, a “fair” complexion row. Here is how to write personal details in marriage biodata one field at a time, with the wording to copy.
- Give the date of birth rather than age; age goes out of date and families calculate it anyway.
- Write height as 5′ 6″, adding centimetres in brackets if relatives abroad will read it.
- Diet, smoking and drinking are optional; if you include them, write the honest answer.
- Leave complexion out. Mention health or a disability plainly, if you choose to.
What goes in personal details
| Field | How to write it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Full name as on documents | Neha Prakash Deshmukh |
| Date of birth | Day, month in words, year | 14 March 1997 |
| Place of birth | City and state (needed if horoscope is included) | Nagpur, Maharashtra |
| Height | Feet and inches; cm optional | 5′ 4″ (163 cm) |
| Weight | Optional; only if current | 56 kg |
| Blood group | Optional | B+ |
| Marital status | Plain words | Never married |
| Religion | Religion; community only if your family mentions it | Hindu |
| Mother tongue | One language | Marathi |
| Diet | What you actually eat | Vegetarian (eats eggs) |
| Lives in | Current city | Pune |
| Smoking / drinking | Optional | Non-smoker, non-drinker |
Name, date of birth, height, marital status, religion, mother tongue and city are the core. Add the others only if your family would expect them.
Name and date of birth
Name. Use your full name as it appears on documents, with a middle name if your community uses one. Leave out nicknames and titles such as “Er.” or “CA” — your qualification already appears under education. “Dr.” for a medical doctor is widely accepted.
Date of birth, not age. “Age: 28” is wrong a few months later, and the biodata keeps getting forwarded long after you made it. Families work out age from the date anyway. Write the month in words, because 04/03/1997 is 4 March in India and April 3 to a relative in the US.
Clear
Date of birth: 14 March 1997
Avoid
Age: 28 yrs · DOB: 14/3/97
If you also want the age visible, write “14 March 1997 (29 years)” and update it after every birthday.
Height and weight
Most families read height in feet and inches. Write it with the foot and inch marks, never as a decimal: “5.6 ft” can mean 5 feet 6 inches or 5.6 feet, which is closer to 5 feet 7. Add centimetres if the biodata may go to families abroad.
| Feet and inches | Centimetres | Feet and inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 11″ | 150 cm | 5′ 7″ | 170 cm |
| 5′ 0″ | 152 cm | 5′ 8″ | 173 cm |
| 5′ 1″ | 155 cm | 5′ 9″ | 175 cm |
| 5′ 2″ | 157 cm | 5′ 10″ | 178 cm |
| 5′ 3″ | 160 cm | 5′ 11″ | 180 cm |
| 5′ 4″ | 163 cm | 6′ 0″ | 183 cm |
| 5′ 5″ | 165 cm | 6′ 1″ | 185 cm |
| 5′ 6″ | 168 cm | 6′ 2″ | 188 cm |
Measure without shoes against a wall. Families do notice at the first meeting when an inch has been added.
Weight is optional and many biodatas skip it. If you include it, give your current weight as a number, not a word like “slim” or “healthy”. Blood group is common in Maharashtrian biodatas and harmless either way.
Marital status
Write it in plain words. “Never married” is clearer than “Unmarried” or “Single”, which some readers take to include divorced people.
Common wordings
Never married · Divorced (no children) · Divorced, one daughter aged 6 who lives with me · Widowed (no children) · Divorce in process — mutual consent, final hearing due in December
If the divorce is not final, say so. Families find out, and a biodata that said “Divorced” too early ends the conversation. The guide to a biodata for second marriage has more wording for these situations.
Religion, mother tongue, diet and habits
Religion. One or two words: “Hindu”, “Muslim — Sunni”, “Christian — Roman Catholic”. Community or caste is optional; include it only if your family considers it.
Mother tongue. One language. If families from other states may read it, add a separate line: “Languages known: Marathi, Hindi, English”.
Diet. Be exact, because it shapes daily life in the new home.
Diet wordings
Vegetarian · Vegetarian (eats eggs) · Non-vegetarian · Jain food (no root vegetables) · Vegetarian at home, eats non-veg outside occasionally
Smoking and drinking. Include the row only if the answer is simple. “Non-smoker, non-drinker” is common. If you drink socially, either write “Drinks occasionally (socially)” or leave the row out and answer honestly when asked. Do not write “No” when the answer is “sometimes” — it will come up at the first family dinner, and then the other family starts doubting everything else on the page.
Health and disability: whether and how to mention
You do not have to list medical history on a one-page biodata. But a condition that affects daily life, or that the other family will learn about in the first few meetings, is usually better said early, briefly and in your own words. The families who read it and still call are the ones worth talking to.
Examples
Type 1 diabetes since childhood, managed with insulin; active routine, plays tennis on weekends
Examples
Had polio as a child; walks with a slight limp in the left leg, drives and travels independently
Examples
Hearing impairment; uses hearing aids and prefers video calls to phone calls
- Describe what the person does and how they live, not just a label.
- Skip the “Physical status: Normal” row found on some forms; it implies anyone else is abnormal.
- No reports or certificates on the biodata; share details privately once both families are serious.
- Wearing spectacles is optional to mention; many people do, and it is harmless either way.
Complexion: leave it out
Many old formats have a “Complexion” or “Colour” row filled with fair, wheatish or dusky. Leave it out.
- The photo already shows how you look; a word beside it adds only a judgement.
- It says nothing about a person, and many of the families you would want to marry into read it as a sign of what your family values.
- The words mean different things to different people — one family’s “wheatish” is another’s “fair” — so it causes misunderstandings at the first meeting.
- If a printed form or a matchmaker’s sheet has the row, leave it blank or strike it out.
The same applies to partner preferences: do not ask for a “fair” bride or groom.
A complete personal details section
For a girl’s biodata
Name: Neha Prakash Deshmukh · Date of birth: 14 March 1997 · Time & place of birth: 7:25 AM, Nagpur · Height: 5′ 4″ (163 cm) · Religion: Hindu · Mother tongue: Marathi · Marital status: Never married · Diet: Vegetarian (eats eggs) · Lives in: Pune
For a boy’s biodata
Name: Farhan Ali Siddiqui · Date of birth: 2 October 1994 · Height: 5′ 10″ · Religion: Muslim — Sunni · Mother tongue: Urdu · Languages known: Urdu, Hindi, English, Telugu · Marital status: Never married · Diet: Non-vegetarian · Habits: Non-smoker, non-drinker · Lives in: Hyderabad
Birth time and place belong here only if your family follows horoscope matching; see horoscope details for the rest of that section.
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Last updated 25 September 2026 · Biodata for Marriage team
Frequently asked questions
What are personal details in a marriage biodata?
Should I write age or date of birth in my biodata?
How do I write height in a biodata?
Is it necessary to mention complexion in a biodata?
Should I mention a health condition or disability in my biodata?
What should I write for marital status?
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