чи́чо
číčomasculine
The Bulgarian word for uncle is чи́чо (číčo). Wiktionary also lists стри́ко (stríko) and ву́йчо (vújčo).
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Bulgarian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| чи́чо | číčo | masculine |
| стри́ко | stríko | masculine, nonstandard, regional |
| ву́йчо | vújčo | masculine |
| калеко | kaleko | masculine, regional |
| свако | svako | masculine |
The term is used to describe a brother or brother-in-law of one's parent. Beyond biological kinship, чи́чо can also be used as a respectful or familiar way to address an older man who is not a relative.
Which one should you use?
While чи́чо is a general term, ву́йчо is used specifically to refer to a mother's brother. The other forms are regional or nonstandard variations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms стри́ко and калеко are regional, and чиче is a dialectal variation.
How do you pronounce it?
číčo
Did you know?
- Addressing an older man as чи́че instead of чи́чо changes the tone to something much more diminutive or even patronizing.
- Children often combine чи́чо with a first name, such as чи́чо Иван, to address an adult. This is a social requirement for politeness that goes beyond using just the name.
- The word чи́чо is a cognate with the word for 'uncle' in other Slavic languages, such as the Serbian and Croatian čiča.
Examples in context
- Здравейте, чичо!Hello, uncle!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
