teta

See also: Appendix:Variations of "teta"

Catalan

Etymology

Expressive voice from the diminutive -eta. Imitation of the childish way of pronouncing words as mameta (“mommy”), germaneta (“sister”), nena (“girl”). Compare tet (“kid”). The meaning of boob could have come from Spanish teta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈte̞.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈtə.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈtɛ.tə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈte.ta]

Noun

teta f (plural tetes)

1. (childish) big sister
2. (childish) girl
3. (dated) babysitter

   Synonym: mainadera

4. (colloquial, vulgar) boob, tit, breast

   Synonym: mamella

Further reading

• “teta”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “teta”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *teta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtɛta]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

teta f

1. aunt

   Coordinate terms: strýc, synovec, neteř

Declension

Declension of teta (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	teta	tety
genitive	tety	tet
dative	tetě	tetám
accusative	tetu	tety
vocative	teto	tety
locative	tetě	tetách
instrumental	tetou	tetami

Coordinate terms

Czech family terms

rodina (“family”)		Male	Female	Neutral
parent		otec (“father”) nursery: táta	matka (“mother”) nursery: máma	rodič (“parent”)
grandparent	paternal	dědeček (“paternal grandfather”) nursery: děda	babička (“paternal grandmother”) nursery: bába	prarodič (“grandparent”)
	maternal1	stařeček (“maternal grandfather”)	stařenka (“maternal grandmother”)
sibling		bratr (“brother”)	sestra (“sister”)	sourozenec (“sibling”)
cousin		bratranec (“male cousin”)	sestřenice (“female cousin”)	–
second cousin		vlastník, bratránek (“male second cousin”)	vlastnice, sestřenka (“female second cousin”)	–
child		syn (“son”)	dcera (“daughter”)	dítě (“child”)
grandchild		vnuk (“grandson”)	vnučka (“granddaughter”)	vnouče (“grandchild”)
parent's sibling	paternal	strýc (“paternal uncle”)	strýna (“paternal aunt”)2	–
	maternal	ujec (“maternal uncle”)2	teta (“maternal aunt”)	–
sibling's child		synovec (“nephew”)	neteř (“niece”)	–
spouse		manžel (“husband”)	manželka (“wife”)	choť (“spouse”)
spouse's parent		tchán (“father-in-law”)	tchyně (“mother-in-law”)	–
child's spouse		zeť (“son-in-law”)	snacha (“daughter-in-law”)	–
child's spouse's parent		svat (“co-father-in-law”)	svatka (“co-mother-in-law”)	–
sibling's spouse		švagr (“sibilar brother-in-law”)	švagrová (“sibilar ister-in-law”)	–
spouse's sibling3	marital	deveř (“marital brother-in-law”)	zelva (“marital sister-in-law”)	–
	uxorial	šír (“uxorial brother-in-law”)	svěst (“uxorial sister-in-law”)	–
stepparent		otčím (“stepfather”)	macecha (“stepmother”)	–
stepchild		pastorek (“stepson”)	pastorkyně (“stepdaughter”)	–
more distant: pra- (“grand- / once removed”) through a more distant ancestor: z druhého kolena (“second”) only through one parent: poloviční (“half-”) not blood relative: nevlastní (“step-”)

¹ Literary (the usual terms today are dědeček and babička).
² Literary (the usual terms today are strýc and teta).
³ Obsolete (replaced by švagr and švagrová).

Derived terms

• prateta
• tetička
• tetka

Further reading

• “teta”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “teta”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “teta”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Franco-Provençal

Noun

teta (Piemontais)

1. alternative form of téta (“head”)

References

• teta in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese teta (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from a West Germanic *titta (English tit, Dutch tiet, German Zitze) or either an expressive formation identical to it.

Compare Portuguese teta, Spanish teta, French tette. Cf. also Late Latin titta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈteta̝/

Noun

teta f (plural tetas)

1. a mammary gland, teat

   Synonyms: chucha, mama, teto

2. (chiefly in the plural) tit, a woman's breast

   Synonyms: peito, seo

   • 1300, R. Martínez López, editor, General Estoria. Versión gallega del siglo XIV., page 218:

     Quem creyria que Abraã averia fillo emçima de sua velleçe, de sua moller Sarra, et ella sééndo outrosi vella queo criaria aas suas tetas?

     Who would have think that Abraham would have a son in spite of his age and that of his wife Sarah, and that she being also old would feed her son with her tits?

Derived terms

• bico da teta (“nipple”)
• tetudo (“having big breasts”, adjective)

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “teta”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “teta”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “teta”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “teta”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “teta”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ta/
• Rhymes: -ɛta
• Hyphenation: tè‧ta

Noun

teta m or f (invariable)

1. Greek letter theta, θ

Anagrams

• -etta, atte, etta-, tate

Kikuyu

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛta/

Verb

teta (infinitive gũteta)

1. to grumble

Derived terms

• ndeto class 9/10

See also

• kwaria, kuuga

Lithuanian

Etymology

Imitative of children's first syllables, similar to tė̃tis (“daddy”) and tė́vas (“father”). Perhaps a regional Wanderwort also seen in Finnish täti (“aunt”).

Noun

tetà f (plural tẽtos) stress pattern 4

1. aunt

Declension

Declension of tetà

	singular	plural
nominative	tetà	tẽtos
genitive	tetõs	tetų̃
dative	tẽtai	tetóms
accusative	tẽtą	tetàs
instrumental	tetà	tetomi̇̀s
locative	tetojè	tetosè
vocative	tẽta	tẽtos

See also

• dė̃dė (“uncle”)

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from English theta, from Ancient Greek θῆτα (thêta).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [te.tä]

Noun

teta (Jawi spelling تيتا, plural teta-teta or teta²)

1. theta; the θ (th) character.

   Huruf teta

   The theta character

Further reading

• "teta" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Portuguese

Etymology 1

From Latin thēta, in turn borrowed from Ancient Greek θῆτα (thêta, “theta”).

Alternative forms

• theta (pre-standardization spelling)

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.tɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.tɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ta/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.tɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛtɐ
• Hyphenation: te‧ta

Noun

teta m (plural tetas)

1. theta (name of the Greek letter Θ θ)

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese teta, possibly from Frankish *titta, from Proto-Germanic *titt- (“teat; nipple; breast”), from Proto-Indo-European *tata- (“father; parent; nipple”), or less likely Ancient Greek τίτθη (títthē). Alternatively, an expressive formation.

Compare Spanish teta, French tette, Late Latin titta, Italian tetta.

Alternative forms

• têta (pre-reform spelling)

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈte.ta/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈte.tɐ/

• Rhymes: -etɐ
• Hyphenation: te‧ta

Noun

teta f (plural tetas)

1. (vulgar when referring to a human’s) tit; teat (projection of mammary gland)

   Synonyms: mama, peito, seio, teto, tetina, úbere

Derived terms

• teta de nega
• teta-de-cabra

Further reading

• “teta”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “teta”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “teta”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “teta”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Greek θήτα (thíta).

Noun

teta m (uncountable)

1. theta

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	teta	tetaul
genitive-dative	teta	tetaului
vocative	tetaule

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *teta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /têta/

• Hyphenation: te‧ta

Noun

tȅta f (Cyrillic spelling те̏та)

1. (hypocoristic) aunt by blood; the sister of one’s parent

   Synonym: tȅtka

Declension

Declension of teta

	singular	plural
nominative	teta	tete
genitive	tete	teta
dative	teti	tetama
accusative	tetu	tete
vocative	teto	tete
locative	teti	tetama
instrumental	tetom	tetama

Further reading

• “teta”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *teta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ceta/, [ˈceta]
• Rhymes: -eta
• Hyphenation: te‧ta

Noun

teta f

1. aunt (a parent's sister)
2. (endearing) A woman of an older generation than oneself, especially a friend of one's parents, by means of fictive kin.

Declension

Declension of teta
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	teta	tety
genitive	tety	tiet
dative	tete	tetám
accusative	tetu	tety
locative	tete	tetách
instrumental	tetou	tetami

Derived terms

• tetka
• tetuška

Further reading

• “teta”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *teta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛ̀ːta/

(This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.)

Noun

téta f

1. aunt (a parent’s sister or sister-in-law)

Declension

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Feminine, a-stem
nom. sing.	têta
gen. sing.	tête
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	têta	têti	tête
genitive (rodȋlnik)	tête	têt	têt
dative (dajȃlnik)	têti	têtama	têtam
accusative (tožȋlnik)	têto	têti	tête
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	têti	têtah	têtah
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	têto	têtama	têtami

Further reading

• “teta”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
• “teta”, in Termania, Amebis
• See also the general references

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈteta/ [ˈt̪e.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -eta
• Syllabification: te‧ta

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French tete (“nipple”), perhaps an expressive formation or from Frankish *titta, from Proto-Germanic *titt- (“teat; nipple; breast”), from Proto-Indo-European *tata- (“father; parent; nipple”).

Compare Ancient Greek τίτθη (títthē), Portuguese teta, French tette, Late Latin titta, Italian tetta, etc. Similar words are found in many European languages, and there may not be a deeper connection between them.

Noun

teta f (plural tetas)

1. (sometimes vulgar) boob, tit, breast

   Synonyms: busto, chichi, lola, mama, pecho, seno

Usage notes

It is not as vulgar as English tit, but in some contexts, especially in colloquial speech, this word can acquire an offensive or vulgar connotation, especially when referring to human breasts. However, from a technically literal standpoint, it is not a swear word. This means it is not always a swear word in colloquial Spanish. In formal contexts, the word is completely normal for humans and animals.

Derived terms

• arreglo de tetas
• dar la teta
• destetar
• leche de teta
• pasarlo teta
• quitar la teta
• teta de monja
• teta de vaca
• tetaza
• tetón
• tiran más dos tetas que dos carretas

Related terms

• tetudo

Etymology 2

Adjective

teta f

1. feminine singular of teto

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Catalan xiqueta, a diminutive of xica (“girl”). Related to chica.

Noun

teta f (plural tetas)

1. (Spain, chiefly Valencia, colloquial), female equivalent of tete: a nice girl, a female friend, sis
   • 2022 November 19, “La ruta”, in Las Provincias‎^[3], Valencia, archived from the original on 17 June 2026:

     Están las costumbres, filias y fobias de los valencianos. Hay paella. Se dirigen los unos a los otros llamándose tete, teta y nano. Pero todo está incluido de un modo natural, nada chirría ni es estridente.

     There are the customs, likes, and dislikes of the people of Valencia. There’s paella. They address one another with terms like tete, teta, and nano. But it’s all woven in naturally; nothing feels forced or jarring.

Usage notes

In this context, it is not an offensive word and has a different origin from that of Etymology 1. However, its use outside Valencia is uncommon.

Further reading

• “teta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Verb

-teta (infinitive kuteta)

1. to oppose, contradict

Conjugation

Conjugation of -teta
Positive present -nateta Subjunctive -tete Negative -teti Imperative singular teta
Infinitives
Positive kuteta Negative kutoteta
Imperatives
Singular teta Plural teteni
Tensed forms
Habitual huteta Positive past positive subject concord + -liteta Negative past negative subject concord + -kuteta
Positive present (positive subject concord + -nateta) Singular Plural 1st person ninateta/nateta tunateta 2nd person unateta mnateta 3rd person m-wa(I/II) anateta wanateta other classes positive subject concord + -nateta
Negative present (negative subject concord + -teti) Singular Plural 1st person siteti hatuteti 2nd person huteti hamteti 3rd person m-wa(I/II) hateti hawateti other classes negative subject concord + -teti
Positive future positive subject concord + -tateta Negative future negative subject concord + -tateta
Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -tete) Singular Plural 1st person nitete tutete 2nd person utete mtete 3rd person m-wa(I/II) atete watete other classes positive subject concord + -tete
Negative subjunctive positive subject concord + -sitete Positive present conditional positive subject concord + -ngeteta Negative present conditional positive subject concord + -singeteta Positive past conditional positive subject concord + -ngaliteta Negative past conditional positive subject concord + -singaliteta
Gnomic (positive subject concord + -ateta) Singular Plural 1st person nateta twateta 2nd person wateta mwateta 3rd person m-wa(I/II) ateta wateta m-mi(III/IV) wateta yateta ji-ma(V/VI) lateta yateta ki-vi(VII/VIII) chateta vyateta n(IX/X) yateta zateta u(XI) wateta see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) kwateta pa(XVI) pateta mu(XVIII) mwateta
Perfect positive subject concord + -meteta "Already" positive subject concord + -meshateta "Not yet" negative subject concord + -jateta "If/When" positive subject concord + -kiteta "If not" positive subject concord + -sipoteta Consecutive kateta / positive subject concord + -kateta Consecutive subjunctive positive subject concord + -katete
Object concord (indicative positive) Singular Plural 1st person -niteta -tuteta 2nd person -kuteta -wateta/-kuteteni/-wateteni 3rd person m-wa(I/II) -mteta -wateta m-mi(III/IV) -uteta -iteta ji-ma(V/VI) -liteta -yateta ki-vi(VII/VIII) -kiteta -viteta n(IX/X) -iteta -ziteta u(XI) -uteta see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -kuteta pa(XVI) -pateta mu(XVIII) -muteta Reflexive -jiteta
Relative forms General positive (positive subject concord + (object concord) + -teta- + relative marker) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -tetaye -tetao m-mi(III/IV) -tetao -tetayo ji-ma(V/VI) -tetalo -tetayo ki-vi(VII/VIII) -tetacho -tetavyo n(IX/X) -tetayo -tetazo u(XI) -tetao see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -tetako pa(XVI) -tetapo mu(XVIII) -tetamo Other forms (subject concord + tense marker + relative marker + (object concord) + -teta) Singular Plural m-wa(I/II) -yeteta -oteta m-mi(III/IV) -oteta -yoteta ji-ma(V/VI) -loteta -yoteta ki-vi(VII/VIII) -choteta -vyoteta n(IX/X) -yoteta -zoteta u(XI) -oteta see n(X) or ma(VI) class ku(XV/XVII) -koteta pa(XVI) -poteta mu(XVIII) -moteta
Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Applicative: -tetea (“fight for”)
  • Causative: -teteleza (“antagonise, aggravate”)
  • Reciprocal: -tetana (“quarrel”)

See also

• mteta

Tumbuka

Verb

-teta (infinitive kuteta)

1. to lie

   Synonyms: gulizga (“-gulizga”), myatika (“-myatika”)

2. to speak falsely, even by mistake

Derived terms

• -tesi (“untrue”)

References

• William Y. Turner (1996), Tumbuka/Tonga-English and English - Tumbuka/Tonga Dictionary‎^[4], Central Africana Limited, page 225

Venetan

Etymology

From Late Latin titta, titia; compare Italian tetta.

Noun

teta f (plural tete)

1. breast, tit

Veps

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *teetädäk.

Verb

teta

1. to know (to have knowledge of a piece of information)

Inflection

Inflection of teta (inflection type 9/kogota)
1st infinitive	teta
present indic.	tedab
past indic.	tezi
	present indicative	past indicative	imperative
1st singular	tedan	tezin	—
2nd singular	tedad	tezid	teda
3rd singular	tedab	tezi	tekaha
1st plural	tedam	tezim	tekam
2nd plural	tedat	tezit	tekat
3rd plural	tetas tedaba	teziba	tekaha
sing. conneg.1	teda	tedand	teda
plur. conneg.	tekoi	tenugoi	tekoi
	present conditional	past conditional	potential
1st singular	tedaižin	tenuižin	tedanen
2nd singular	tedaižid	tenuižid	tedaned
3rd singular	tedaiži	tenuiži	tedaneb
1st plural	tedaižim	tenuižim	tedanem
2nd plural	tedaižit	tenuižit	tedanet
3rd plural	tedaižiba	tenuižiba	tedaneba
connegative	tedaiži	tenuiži	tedane
non-finite forms
1st infinitive	teta
2nd infinitive		3rd infinitive
inessive	tetes	inessive	tedamas
instructive	teten	illative	tedamaha
participles		elative	tedamaspäi
present active	tedai	adessive	tedamal
past active	tenu	abessive	tedamat
past passive	tetud
1 In imperative: used only in the second-person singular. The plural form is used with other persons.

Derived terms

• tedo
• tetab

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

teta

1. abessive singular of te

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “знать”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[5], Petrozavodsk: Periodika