Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| चाचा | cācā | /t͡ʃɑː.t͡ʃɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मामा | māmā | /mɑː.mɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| काका | kākā | /kɑː.kɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) | |
| ताऊ | tāū | /t̪ɑː.uː/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| अंकल | aṅkal | /əŋ.kəl/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
Pick the word by asking whose brother the uncle is. Most people also add a respectful ending when addressing or mentioning an uncle, as in चाचाजी or Mama Ji.
Which one should you use?
चाचा refers specifically to a father's younger brother, ताऊ to a father's older brother and मामा to a mother's brother. काका is a more general or regional term for a paternal uncle, used in certain dialects or informal settings. The English loanword अंकल is used in urban India for any older male acquaintance or neighbor, regardless of family relation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Adding Ji to the end makes the word more respectful, as in चाचाजी, Mama Ji or Tau Ji. Chachu is an affectionate, informal word children often use for an uncle. अंकल is colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of North India, Tau Ji is the usual way to address your father's older brother. काका is heard as a paternal uncle in certain dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
These are masculine nouns. Before a postposition, as in my uncle's house, the words ending in a do not change in the singular, as the examples show with मेरे चाचा की.
How do you pronounce it?
Say चाचा as cācā, IPA /tʃɑː.tʃɑː/, with the ch of English church and two long a sounds.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not call your mother's brother चाचा. He is always मामा.
When do people say it?
Children in India commonly call any older man अंकल, even a neighbor or a friend's father with no family tie.
Did you know?
- Even though many Hindi kinship terms have Indo-Aryan roots, the word मामा for a maternal uncle is thought to come from Proto-Dravidian, a completely different language family.
Examples in context
- वो वाला घर, जिसकी छत लाल है, वो मेरे चाचाजी का घर है।The house with the red roof belongs to my uncle.चाचाजी uses the respectful ending जी.Tatoeba #12394438 by Saumya, translation #25578 by Lumi
- टॉम मेरा मामा है।Tom is my uncle.मामा tells us this uncle is the speaker's mother's brother.Tatoeba #4010983 by sabretou, translation #3171306 by CK
- यह तसवीर मेरे चाचा की है।This picture is of my uncle.मेरे चाचा की means of my uncle, the word itself does not change before की.Tatoeba #4638819 by sabretou, translation #59953 by CK
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Vikas are talking about a family gathering.
- नेहा Nehaक्या हमारे चाचा भी आ रहे हैं?Kya hamare chacha bhi aa rahe hain?Is our uncle also coming?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, चाचा शाम तक पहुँच जाएँगे।Haan, chacha shaam tak pahunch jayenge.Yes, uncle will arrive by evening.
- नेहा Nehaविकास, क्या चाचा को रास्ता पता है?Vikas, kya chacha ko raasta pata hai?Vikas, does uncle know the way?
- विकास Vikasनहीं, मैं चाचा को फोन कर दूँगा।Nahi, main chacha ko phone kar doonga.No, I will call uncle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries चाचा, मामा, काका, ताऊ, अंकल, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries काका, चाचा, ताऊ, मामा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
