चाचा (chaachaa)
noun
चाचा (chaachaa) is a core kinship term for your father's younger brother, and it doubles as a warm, respectful way to address an older man who isn't actually family.
Sense
1
:
father's younger brother (paternal uncle)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most North Indian families the father's brothers are ranked by age relative to him, which is why Hindi needs two separate words (चाचा (chaachaa) and ताऊ (taaoo)) where English just says 'uncle' -- the family tree is baked right into the vocabulary. Children often address and refer to their चाचा (chaachaa) with the same word directly, sometimes softened to चाचू (chaachoo) at home.
Common Mistakes: 1) Hindi kinship terms are specific, not generic like English 'uncle': चाचा (chaachaa) is only your father's *younger* brother, ताऊ (taaoo) is his *elder* brother, and मामा (maamaa) is your mother's brother -- mixing these up is a classic learner slip. 2) The feminine counterpart (your चाचा's wife) is a separate word, चाची (chaachii), not a feminine inflection of चाचा (chaachaa).
Sample Sentences:
मेरे चाचा दिल्ली में रहते हैं।
My uncle (father's younger brother) lives in Delhi.
(mere chaachaa dillii men rahte hain।)
चाचा जी, आप कैसे हैं?
Uncle, how are you?
(chaachaa jii, aap kaise hain?)
पापा से छोटे भाई को हम चाचा बुलाते हैं।
We call our father's younger brother 'chaachaa'.
(paapaa se chhote bhaaii ko ham chaachaa bulaate hain।)
चाचा ने पिछले साल नया घर खरीदा।
Uncle bought a new house last year.
(chaachaa ne pichhle saal nayaa ghar khariidaa।)
जब तक चाचा नहीं आएँगे, हम खाना शुरू नहीं करेंगे।
We won't start eating until Uncle arrives.
(jab tak chaachaa nahiin aaenge, ham khaanaa shuroo nahiin karenge।)
चाचू, मुझे साइकिल चलाना सिखा दो।
Uncle, teach me to ride a bicycle.
(chaachoo, mujhe saaikil chalaanaa sikhaa do।)
अगर चाचा घर पर होते, तो वे मेरी मदद करते।
If Uncle were home, he would have helped me.
(agar chaachaa ghar par hote, to ve merii madad karte।)
मेरे चाचा और पापा एक ही दुकान में काम करते थे।
My uncle and my father used to work in the same shop.
(mere chaachaa aur paapaa ek hii dukaan men kaam karte the।)
शायद चाचा को यह बात पहले से पता हो।
Maybe uncle already knows this.
(shaayad chaachaa ko yah baat pahle se pataa ho।)
चाचा के आने की खबर सबको दे दी गई थी।
The news of Uncle's arrival had been given to everyone.
(chaachaa ke aane kii khabar sabko de dii gaii thii।)
पिताजी के तीनों छोटे भाइयों को हम चाचा कहते हैं, बड़े को ताऊ।
We call all three of father's younger brothers 'chaachaa', and the elder one 'taauu'.
(pitaajii ke tiinon chhote bhaaiyon ko ham chaachaa kahte hain, bade ko taaoo।)
Sense
2
:
respectful/affectionate term of address for an older man (not a relative)
noun, masculine Used vocatively or as a polite third-person reference for a man roughly your father's age or older, much like calling an unrelated adult 'uncle' in Indian English.
Synonyms: अंकल (ankal, common with English-medium speakers), भाई साहब (bhaaii saahab, for someone closer to one's own generation)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This extended, affectionate use is why Jawaharlal Nehru was popularly nicknamed 'Chacha Nehru' (chaachaa nehroo) by generations of Indian schoolchildren -- the word carries a built-in warmth that 'uncle' alone doesn't quite capture in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) Don't reach for चाचा (chaachaa) for every older man -- it fits a shopkeeper, neighbor, or rickshaw-wala who feels like family-adjacent, while a stranger in a formal setting is better addressed as सर (sar) or साहब (saahab).
Sample Sentences:
चाचा, एक कप चाय मिलेगी?
Uncle, could I get a cup of tea?
(chaachaa, ek kap chaay milegii?)
पान वाले चाचा हर शाम यहीं बैठते हैं।
The paan-seller uncle sits right here every evening.
(paan vaale chaachaa har shaam yahiin baithte hain।)
बच्चे उन्हें प्यार से चाचा नेहरू कहते थे।
Children affectionately called him Chacha Nehru.
(bachche unhen pyaar se chaachaa nehroo kahte the।)
चाचा जी, ज़रा रास्ता बता दीजिए।
Uncle, please tell me the way.
(chaachaa jii, zaraa raastaa bataa diijie।)
दुकान वाले चाचा ने मुझे मुफ्त में एक टॉफी दे दी।
The shopkeeper uncle gave me a toffee for free.
(dukaan vaale chaachaa ne mujhe mupht men ek tophii de dii।)
अगर चाचा वहाँ होते तो हमें सही रास्ता दिखा देते।
If the uncle had been there, he would have shown us the right way.
(agar chaachaa vahaan hote to hamen sahii raastaa dikhaa dete।)
चौकीदार चाचा से पूछो, उन्हें सब पता रहता है।
Ask the watchman uncle, he knows everything.
(chaukiidaar chaachaa se poochho, unhen sab pataa rahtaa hai।)
उस बुज़ुर्ग चाचा का सम्मान पूरा मोहल्ला करता है।
The whole neighborhood respects that elderly uncle.
(us buzurg chaachaa kaa sammaan pooraa mohallaa kartaa hai।)
शायद चाचा को यह बात पहले से पता हो।
Maybe the uncle already knows about this.
(shaayad chaachaa ko yah baat pahle se pataa ho।)
बगल वाले चाचा को अस्पताल ले जाया गया।
The uncle next door was taken to the hospital.
(bagal vaale chaachaa ko asptaal le jaayaa gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चाचा
(chaachaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
चाचा
(chaachaa)
(pl.m.direct):
चाचा
(chaachaa)
(pl.m.oblique):
चाचाओं
(chaachaaon)