Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| стриц | paternal | /strîːt͡s/ | Cyrillic, masculine |
| чичa | Cyrillic, masculine | ||
| амиџа | àmidža | /ǎmid͡ʒa/ | Cyrillic, masculine, nonstandard, regional |
| тетак | tétak | Cyrillic, masculine | |
| течa | Cyrillic, masculine | ||
| течо | tečo | Cyrillic, masculine | |
| ујак | maternal | /ûjaːk/ | Cyrillic, masculine |
| даиџа | dàidža | /dǎid͡ʒa/ | Cyrillic, masculine, nonstandard, regional |
| stric | /strîːt͡s/ | Latin, masculine | |
| čiča | /t͡ʃît͡ʃa/ | Latin, masculine | |
| amidža | /ǎmid͡ʒa/ | Latin, masculine, nonstandard, regional | |
| tetak | Latin, masculine | ||
| teča | Latin, masculine | ||
| tečo | Latin, masculine | ||
| ujak | /ûjaːk/ | Latin, masculine | |
| daidža | /dǎid͡ʒa/ | Latin, masculine, nonstandard, regional |
Serbian has separate words for different uncles. стриц is the brother of your father. ујак is the brother of your mother. тетак (tetak) is the husband of your aunt.
Which one should you use?
Pick the word by family side. Use stric for a paternal uncle and ujak for a maternal uncle. чича can also be a respectful or familiar way to address an older man who is not a relative.
Is it said differently in some regions?
амиџа (amidža) and даиџа (daidža) are regional, nonstandard words for uncle found in some southern dialects. daidža is rare.
How does it change in a sentence?
All these words are masculine. When you address an uncle directly, the vocative течо (tečo) is used.
How do you pronounce it?
стриц is pronounced /strîːts/, one syllable with a long falling vowel and a final ts sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use one word for every uncle. Serbian speakers expect stric or ujak depending on which parent is the sibling.
Did you know?
- The word амиџа (amidža) reveals a historical connection to the Ottoman Empire, as it was borrowed from the Turkish word for uncle.
- The word чича (čiča) can be used to address an older man who is not a relative at all, acting as a friendly or respectful title for a stranger.
- If you are addressing your uncle directly, you must change the word 'tetak' to its vocative form, течо (tečo), to show you are speaking to him.
Examples in context
- Том ми није стриц.Tom isn't my uncle.стриц here names a father's brother.Tatoeba #8874198 by Lebad, translation #5902911 by CK
- Gde živi tvoj ujak?Where does your uncle live?ujak asks about a mother's brother.Tatoeba #3425158 by neron, translation #17412 by CK
- Moj ujak ima veliku porodicu.My uncle has a large family.ujak is used with Moj to say my uncle.Tatoeba #3440452 by neron, translation #65084 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Stefan is showing Jelena a family photo.
- StefanОво је мој стриц Марко.This is my uncle Marko.
- JelenaДа ли он живи овде?Does he live here?
- StefanНе, стриц живи у Београду.No, my uncle lives in Belgrade.
- JelenaОн изгледа веома пријатно.He looks very pleasant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries стриц, амиџа, тетак, течо, ујак, даиџа, stric, čiča, amidža, tetak, tečo, ujak, daidža, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries амиџа, стриц, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
