Ways to say it
| Croatian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ujak | /ûjaːk/ | Latin, masculine |
| stric | /strîːt͡s/ | Latin, masculine |
| čiča | /t͡ʃît͡ʃa/ | Latin, masculine |
| amidža | /ǎmid͡ʒa/ | Latin, masculine, nonstandard, regional |
| tetak | Latin, masculine | |
| teča | Latin, masculine | |
| tečo | Latin, masculine | |
| daidža | /dǎid͡ʒa/ | Latin, masculine, nonstandard, regional |
In Croatian, the specific word you use for uncle depends on which side of the family they are from.
Which one should you use?
To be precise about family relations, use ujak for your mother's brother and stric for your father's brother. The terms tetak and teča (or tečo) also refer to uncles. Other forms like daidža and amidža refer to the same concept but are much less common and tied to specific regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
čiča is a regional or colloquial term used in parts of Croatia and Bosnia. In the Kajkavian dialect, the word for uncle is ujo. Both amidža and daidža are nonstandard, rare and regional terms.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of ujak changes based on its role in a sentence. For example, it becomes ujaka in the accusative case or ujakom in the instrumental case.
How do you pronounce it?
/ûjaːk/
Did you know?
- The word čiča is not just a synonym for 'uncle', but also serves as a common, affectionate term for an old man in certain parts of Bosnia and Croatia.
- The Croatian vocabulary for 'uncle' is a linguistic map of the country's history, containing terms borrowed from Ottoman Turkish like amidža and daidža.
- The term stric has deep linguistic roots, descending directly from the Proto-Slavic word *strъjьcь.
Examples in context
- Ujak mi živi u Srbiji, teta mi živi u Švedskoj, a sestra mi živi u Portugalu.My uncle lives in Serbia, my aunt lives in Sweden, and my sister lives in Portugal.This sentence shows the use of ujak to describe where a relative lives.Tatoeba #13774572 by lostmindRH, translation #13774578 by lostmindRH
- Tom sada živi sa svojim ujakom.Tom is living with his uncle now.This sentence uses the instrumental form of ujak to show who Tom is living with.Tatoeba #1048040 by akvo, translation #37143 by CK
- Moj ujak je veoma ljubazan čovjek.My uncle is a very kind man.
Example conversation
Petra and Ivan are looking at family photos.
- PetraTko je ovaj čovjek na slici?Who is this man in the picture?
- IvanTo je moj ujak, brat moje majke.That is my uncle, my mother's brother.
- PetraIzgledaš baš kao tvoj ujak.You look just like your uncle.
- IvanHvala, on to uvijek govori.Thanks, he always says that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries ujak, stric, čiča, amidža, tetak, tečo, daidža, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amidža, stric, čiča, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
