काकी (kaakii)

noun A kinship noun meaning 'paternal uncle's wife' (aunt by marriage on the father's side) -- feminine counterpart of काका (kaakaa).
Sense 1 : father's younger brother's wife (aunt)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: चाची (chaachii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In much of the Hindi belt, काकी (kaakii) and चाची (chaachii) both mean the same relation -- your father's brother's wife -- with the choice being mostly regional/family habit rather than meaning difference; some families use काकी (kaakii) for the father's younger brother's wife specifically and a different term for the elder's. Hindi kinship terms are prized for this precision, and in joint-family households you will hear काकी (kaakii) used constantly, often even by neighbors' children as a mark of closeness rather than blood relation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use आंटी (aantii) for any older woman, but काकी (kaakii) specifically marks a real or fictive kinship tie through the father's brother, not a generic polite address. 2) English 'aunt' collapses several distinct Hindi terms (काकी (kaakii), मामी (maamii), मौसी (mausii)) that specify exactly which side and which relative's wife she is -- these are not interchangeable.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी काकी हर त्योहार पर हमारे घर आती हैं। My aunt comes to our house on every festival.
(merii kaakii har tyohaar par hamaare ghar aatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काकी ने मुझे बचपन में बहुत लाड़ किया था। Aunty pampered me a lot when I was a child.
(kaakii ne mujhe bachpan men bahut laad kiyaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काकी! जरा देखो तो, बाहर कौन आया है। Aunty! Please check who has come outside.
(kaakii! jaraa dekho to, baahar kaun aayaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पड़ोस के बच्चे भी उन्हें काकी ही बुलाते हैं। Even the neighborhood children just call her aunty.
(pados ke bachche bhii unhen kaakii hii bulaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर काकी घर पर होतीं, तो सबको खाना खिलातीं। If aunty had been home, she would have fed everyone.
(agar kaakii ghar par hotiin, to sabko khaanaa khilaatiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
काकी इस समय रसोई में खाना बना रही हैं। Aunty is cooking food in the kitchen right now.
(kaakii is samay rasoii men khaanaa banaa rahii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद काकी शादी में जरूर आएँ। Perhaps aunty will surely come to the wedding.
(shaayad kaakii shaadii men jaroor aaen।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काकी की बनाई हुई मिठाई सबसे स्वादिष्ट होती है। The sweets made by aunty are the most delicious.
(kaakii kii banaaii huii mithaaii sabse svaadisht hotii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काकी अगले महीने अपने मायके जाएँगी। Aunty will go to her parents' home next month.
(kaakii agle mahiine apne maayke jaaengii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
काकी की तबीयत अब पहले से बेहतर है। Aunty's health is better now than before.
(kaakii kii tabiiyat ab pahle se behtar hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
छोटी काकी सबसे छोटी बहू हैं इस घर की। The younger aunty is the youngest daughter-in-law of this house.
(chhotii kaakii sabse chhotii bahoo hain is ghar kii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): काकी (kaakii)
(sg.f.oblique): काकी (kaakii)
(pl.f.direct): काकियाँ (kaakiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): काकियों (kaakiyon)