دایی

What it means

دایی (dâyi) means “maternal uncle,” your mother’s brother. Native Persian word distinct from عمو (paternal uncle). Persian kinship vocabulary marks the maternal/paternal distinction precisely.

How to use it

• دایی من در شیراز زندگی می‌کند (dâyi-ye man dar shirâz zendegi mikonad) “My maternal uncle lives in Shiraz”
• دایی جان (dâyi jân) “Dear uncle” (affectionate)
• پسر دایی (pesar-dâyi) “male maternal cousin”

Common pairings

• دایی زاده (dâyi-zâde) “maternal cousin”
• پسر دایی (pesar-dâyi) “male maternal cousin”
• دختر دایی (dokhtar-dâyi) “female maternal cousin”
• دایی جان (dâyi jân) “dear uncle” (affectionate address)

Cultural note

In Persian narrative tradition, دایی relationships often carry strong protective and affectionate meaning. The classic Iranian novel “دایی جان ناپلئون” (My Uncle Napoleon) by Iraj Pezeshkzad turned the eccentric maternal uncle into one of the most beloved characters in 20th-century Persian literature.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab