Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| тётя | tjótja | [ˈtʲɵtʲə] (narrow) | feminine |
| тётка | tjótka | [ˈtʲɵtkə] (narrow) | colloquial, feminine |
| тётушка | tjótuška | [ˈtʲɵtʊʂkə] (narrow) | feminine |
тётя refers to a parent's sister or sister-in-law. In many Russian-speaking contexts, calling an older woman тётя followed by her name is a common way to address her informally but respectfully, similar to 'auntie'.
Which one should you use?
тётя is the standard, neutral way to say aunt. тётушка is a diminutive used to express affection or endearment toward an aunt. In contrast, тётка is colloquial and can carry a derogatory or disrespectful connotation, often implying an unpleasant or older woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
тётя is the standard, neutral way to say aunt and can be used informally to address an aunt. тётушка is an informal variant of aunt that adds endearment. тётка is colloquial.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three forms are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
tjótja
Did you know?
- The word тётя descends from the Proto-Slavic root *teta, which is distantly related to the Latin word 'teta' meaning 'breast' or 'nipple'.
- While тётя is the standard term, the form тётка can be used as a general noun to describe any middle-aged woman in a critical or dismissive way, regardless of whether she is actually a relative.
- The word тётя is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'aunt', as both share roots in ancient Indo-European structures for family relations.
Examples in context
- Мэри – моя тётя.Mary is my aunt.This sentence shows how to identify a person as your тётя.Tatoeba #9230214 by marafon, translation #8298371 by soliloquist
- Гера тётя Диониса.Hera is Dionysus's aunt.This sentence identifies a specific relationship using the form тётя.Tatoeba #13958708 by marafon, translation #13958699 by IdiomHunter
- Что делает твоя тётя?What does your aunt do?This sentence uses the form тётя to ask about someone's aunt.Tatoeba #3425163 by Selena777, translation #17411 by CK
- Добрый день, тётя!Good day, aunt!
- Спасибо, тётюшка!Thank you, auntie!
- Привет, тётя!Hello, aunt!
- Я люблю свою тётю.I love my aunt.
- Тётушка, ты лучшая!Auntie, you're the best!
- Тётя, поможешь мне?Aunt, can you help me?
- 121 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry and Ekaterina are talking about a family visit.
- Дмитрий DmitryЕкатерина, твоя тётя приедет завтра?Ekaterina, tvoya tyotya priyedet zavtra?Ekaterina, is your aunt coming tomorrow?
- Екатерина EkaterinaДа, Дмитрий, она приедет к нам вечером.Da, Dmitriy, ona priyedet k nam vecherom.Yes, Dmitry, she is coming to us in the evening.
- Дмитрий DmitryТвоя тётя очень милая женщина.Tvoya tyotya ochen' milaya zhenshchina.Your aunt is a very sweet woman.
- Екатерина EkaterinaСпасибо, она очень любит нашу семью.Spasibo, ona ochen' lyubit nashu sem'yu.Thank you, she loves our family very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries тётя, тётка, тётушка, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries тётка, тётушка, тётя, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
