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Cantonese Vocabulary
Family Terms

\ga\ \tihng\	family	家庭
\ga\ \yahn\	family member	家人
\chan\ -chik-	relative	親戚
/jou/ \sin\	ancestor	祖先
\sin\ \saang\	Mr./husband	先生
jeuhng \fu\	husband	丈夫
/louh/ \gung\	husband	老公
taai /taai/	Mrs./wife	太太
/louh/ \poh\	wife	老婆

Family relationships have historically been an important part of Chinese culture. Relational terms give some insight to divisions in Chinese thinking. They are divided along paternal and maternal lines as well as differentiated for elders and juniors.

Within families people often refer to one another by their relational title rather than their name. This often extends outside the family, with people applying generic terms for "brother", "sister", "uncle", "aunt", etc. to strangers, in part to establish accepted social relationships based upon age and status.

fuh /mouh/	parents	父母	/jai/ /neuih/	children	仔女
\ba\ \ma\	Mom & Dad	爸媽	sai -man- /jai/	children	細蚊仔
\bah\ \ba\	Dad	爸爸	/jai/	son	仔
\mah\ \ma\	Mom	媽媽	/neuih/	daughter	女
fuh \chan\	Father	父親	\hing\ daih	brother (general)	兄弟
/mouh/ \chan\	Mother	母親	\goh\ \go\	brother (older)	哥哥
-suk- -suk-	uncle (general)	叔叔	daaih /lou/	brother (older)	大佬
baak fu	uncle (father's older brother)	伯父	sai /lou/	brother (younger)	細佬
a \suk\	uncle (father's younger brother)	阿叔	\daih\ /dai/	brother (younger)	弟弟
/kauh/ /fu/	uncle (mother's brother)	舅父	/ji/ muih	sister (general)	姐妹
a -yi-	aunt (general) (mother's younger sister)	阿姨	/jeh/ \je\	sister (older)	姐姐
\gu\ \ma\	aunt (father's older sister)	姑媽	\ga\ \je\	sister (older)	家姐
\gu\ \je\	aunt (father's younger sister)	姑姐	\muih\ /mui/	sister (younger)	妹妹
\yih\ \ma\	aunt (mother's older sister)	姨媽	sai /mui/	sister (younger)	細妹
a \yeh\	grandfather (father's father)	阿爺	/biu/ \go\	cousin (older male)	表哥
a \gung\	grandfather (mother's father)	阿公	/biu/ /dai/	cousin (younger male)	表弟
a \mah\	grandmother (father's mother)	阿嬤	/biu/ /je/	cousin (older female)	表姐
a \poh\	grandfather (mother's mother)	阿婆	/biu/ /mui/	cousin (younger female)	表妹

Note that many relational terms can be reduplicated to make them more intimate. For example an "a \yeh\" can also be referred to as "\yeh\ /yeh/" to show closeness. Many relational terms can also be prefixed with "-a" to express familiarity. For example, a "\goh\ \go\" can be referred to as "a \go\" to express a casual relationship.

Tone shifts are common in relational characters. This is particularly evident in reduplication. In such cases the first character's tone usually changes.

Cantonese Vocabulary Family Terms

Cantonese Vocabulary
Family Terms