тетка
tȅtka/têtka/Cyrillic, feminine
The Serbian word for "aunt" is тетка (tȅtka). Wiktionary also lists teta and хала (hȁla).
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| тетка | tȅtka | /têtka/ | Cyrillic, feminine |
| teta | /têta/ | Croatia | |
| хала | hȁla | /xâla/ /xǎːla/ |
Cyrillic, feminine, regional |
| ујна | ujna | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| стрина | strȋna | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| tetka | /têtka/ | Latin, feminine | |
| hala | /xâla/ /xǎːla/ |
Latin, feminine, regional | |
| ujna | /ûːjna/ | Latin, feminine | |
| daidžinca | Bosnia, Latin, feminine | ||
| strina | Latin, feminine | ||
| amidžinca | Bosnia, Latin, feminine |
While тетка is a common general term for an aunt, Serbian distinguishes between paternal and maternal sides using стрина and ујна.
Which one should you use?
стрина specifically refers to a paternal aunt (father's sister) or the wife of a paternal uncle.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form teta is a more affectionate or diminutive way to say 'aunt', often used by children or when addressing an older woman familiarly. In Croatia, teta is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form hala or хала is a regional variant. In Bosnia, you may encounter daidžinca or the rare regional form amidžinca.
Did you know?
- The term teta is often used as a polite way to address any older woman in a social setting, even if you are not related to her.
- The word хала has an unexpected history, as it was borrowed from Ottoman Turkish via Arabic roots.
- In some contexts, calling a woman teta is a way to create a 'pseudo-family' bond of trust in social or professional settings.
Examples in context
- Томова стрина живи у Аустралији.Tom's aunt lives in Australia.This sentence shows how to use стрина to refer to a paternal aunt.Tatoeba #8894848 by Lebad, translation #8886347 by CK
- Šta radi tvoja tetka?What does your aunt do?This sentence uses tetka to ask about an aunt.Tatoeba #3425159 by neron, translation #17411 by CK
- Moja tetka mi je dala cveće.My aunt gave me flowers.This sentence demonstrates the use of tetka in a sentence about a gift.Tatoeba #3477634 by neron, translation #2170867 by marcelostockle
- Moju tetu treba da vidim sutra.I need to see my aunt tomorrow.
- Večera kod tete Danice je uvijek ukusna!Dinner at Aunt Danica's is always delicious!
- Draga tetka, kako si danas?Dear aunt, how are you today?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikola and Marija are looking at old family photos.
- NikolaКо је ова жена на слици?Who is this woman in the photo?
- MarijaТо је моја тетка из Београда.That is my aunt from Belgrade.
- NikolaДа ли је она твоја сликара?Is she your painter?
- MarijaДа, моја тетка је одличан уметник.Yes, my aunt is a great artist.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries тетка, teta, хала, ујна, стрина, tetka, hala, ujna, daidžinca, strina, amidžinca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries teta, тетка, ујна, хала, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
