mătușă
/məˈtu.ʃə/feminine
The Romanian word for aunt is mătușă.
The noun mătușă is used to refer to a parent's sister or a sister-in-law.
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Which one should you use?
While mătușă is the standard term, the diminutive mătușică is used to express affection toward an aunt.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify 'the aunt' in the singular definite form, you add the definite article suffix to create mătușii.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable: /məˈtu.ʃə/.
When do people say it?
The diminutive form mătușică is often used as an affectionate way to address or refer to an aunt.
Did you know?
- In many Romanian families, the term mătușă is used as a title of respect for older women even if they are not biologically related to you. It functions similarly to how 'auntie' is used in many English-speaking cultures.
- The word mătușă comes from the Latin word amita, which specifically meant 'paternal aunt' in Ancient Rome.
Examples in context
- Soția unchiului se numește mătușă.The uncle's wife is called an aunt.This sentence demonstrates how the wife of an uncle is referred to using mătușă.Tatoeba #13954196 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13954195 by Ioan_Cristian
Example conversation
Stefan and Ioana are looking at a family photo album.
- StefanCine este această femeie din poză?Who is this woman in the photo?
- IoanaAceasta este mătușă a mea, Maria.This is my aunt, Maria.
- StefanEa este sora mamei tale?Is she your mother's sister?
- IoanaDa, ea este sora mai mică.Yes, she is the younger sister.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries mătușă, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mătușă, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
