dėdė
[²ˈdʲeːdʲeː]masculine
The English word uncle is translated into Lithuanian as dėdė.
dėdė refers to the brother of someone's parent or a brother-in-law.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
Which one should you use?
While dėdė is the standard term, Dėdėlis is a diminutive used to express affection.
Did you know?
- The term dėdė is related to the Ancient Greek word tḗthē, which actually means 'grandmother'.
- In Lithuania, it is common to call an older man dėdė even if there is no family connection. This is used as a sign of respect or friendliness toward a stranger.
Examples in context
- Mano dėdė buvo vienintelis sužeistas avarijoje.My uncle was the only person injured in the car accident.This sentence shows how to use dėdė when describing a person involved in an accident.Tatoeba #3215685 by asveja, translation #251164 by CK
- Dėdė Bobas pakvietė mus vakarienei.Uncle Bob invited us to have dinner.This sentence demonstrates using dėdė as a title before a name, such as in Dėdė Bobas.Tatoeba #624298 by fanty, translation #33265 by CN
- Tomas ne mano tėvas. Jis mano dėdė.Tom isn't my father. He's my uncle.This sentence illustrates how to use dėdė to clarify a relationship between people.Tatoeba #4909902 by kotik, translation #4803255 by CK
- Ačiū, Onkeli, už visus gimtadienio sveikinimus!Thank you, Uncle, for all the birthday wishes!
- Ačiū, Dėdėli, už padovanotą knygą!Thank you, Uncle, for the book you gave me!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomas and Austėja are talking about family members during a walk.
- TomasAr žinai, kas yra tas vyras?Do you know who that man is?
- AustėjaTai mano dėdė.That is my uncle.
- TomasJis atrodo labai draugiškas.He looks very friendly.
- AustėjaTaip, dėdė yra labai linksmas.Yes, my uncle is very fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries dėdė, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dėdė, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
