چچا
chāchāfather's brother
Urdu in Pakistan has separate words for uncles. A father's brother is چچا (chāchā), a mother's brother is ماموں (māmūṉ), and انکل (uncle) is the general word for an older man.
Meaning: relative or respectful address (noun)
Ways to say it
| Pakistan | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| چچا | chāchā | father's brother |
| ماموں | māmūṉ | mother's brother |
| انکل | uncle | general, borrowed from English |
A father's sister's husband is پھوپھا (phūphā) and a mother's sister's husband is خالو (khālū). The matching aunts are چچی (chachī), ممانی (mumānī), پھوپھی (phūphī) and خالہ (khāla).
When do people say it?
Children call friends' fathers and older neighbors انکل (uncle) as a sign of respect. This is common even with people who are not family.
Did you know?
- Because the words change with the side of the family, a Pakistani child can tell from one word which parent an uncle is related through.
Examples in context
- میرے چچا لاہور میں رہتے ہیں۔mere chāchā Lāhore meṉ rahte haiṉ.My father's brother lives in Lahore.
- ماموں جان ہمارے گھر آئے ہیں۔māmūṉ jān hamāre ghar āe haiṉ.Mother's brother has come to our house.
- انکل، یہ کتنے کا ہے؟uncle, yeh kitne kā hai?Uncle, how much is this?
Example conversation
Kids Hina and Bilal wait for their mother's brother to arrive from Quetta.
- Hinaماموں آج آ رہے ہیں!māmūṉ āj ā rahe haiṉ!Mother's brother is coming today!
- Bilalمجھے ان کا تحفہ چاہیے۔mujhe un kā tohfa chāhiye.I want his gift.
- Hinaپہلے سلام تو کر لو۔pehle salām to kar lo.First say hello at least.
