Language/Yue-chinese/Vocabulary/Family-Members
In this lesson, we will focus on learning the vocabulary for family members in Yue Chinese. Family is an integral part of Chinese culture and traditions, and knowing the right terms for different family members is essential when communicating with Chinese speakers. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently identify and address different family members in Yue Chinese.
Immediate Family Members
Father
The term for father in Yue Chinese is "父親" (fù qīn). It is pronounced as /fuh ching/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "父亲".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 父親 | fù qīn | father |
Some other ways to address a father in Yue Chinese include "爸爸" (bà ba) or "老爸" (lǎo bà), which are more casual terms used in everyday conversations.
Mother
The term for mother in Yue Chinese is "母親" (mǔ qīn). It is pronounced as /muh ching/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "母亲".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | mǔ qīn | mother |
Similarly, there are other ways to address a mother in Yue Chinese, such as "媽媽" (mā ma) or "老媽" (lǎo mā), which are more casual and familiar terms.
Older Brother
The term for older brother in Yue Chinese is "哥哥" (gē ge). It is pronounced as /guh guh/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "哥哥".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 哥哥 | gē ge | older brother |
For younger siblings, this term can be modified by adding a prefix that indicates age hierarchy. For instance, "二哥" (èr gē) means second eldest brother while "三哥" (sān gē) means third eldest brother.
Older Sister
The term for older sister in Yue Chinese is "姐姐" (jiě jie). It is pronounced as /jyeh jyeh/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "姐姐".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 姐姐 | jiě jie | older sister |
Similar to the term for older brother, the term for older sister in Yue Chinese can also be modified to indicate age hierarchy. For example, "二姐" (èr jiě) refers to second eldest sister while "三姐" (sān jiě) means third eldest sister.
Younger Brother
The term for younger brother in Yue Chinese is "弟弟" (dì di). It is pronounced as /dee dee/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "弟弟".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 弟弟 | dì di | younger brother |
Like the terms for older siblings, the term for younger brother can also be modified using age hierarchy prefixes such as "二弟" (èr dì) for second youngest brother and "三弟" (sān dì) for third youngest brother.
Younger Sister
The term for younger sister in Yue Chinese is "妹妹" (mèi mei). It is pronounced as /may may/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "妹妹".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 妹妹 | mèi mei | younger sister |
Similarly, the term for younger sister in Yue Chinese can also be modified using age hierarchy prefixes such as "二妹" (èr mèi) for second youngest sister and "三妹" (sān mèi) for third youngest sister.
Extended Family Members
Apart from immediate family members, there are several other terms that are used to refer to different members of the extended family in Yue Chinese. Here are some of the most common ones:
Grandfather
The term for grandfather in Yue Chinese is "爺爺" (yé ye). It is pronounced as /yeh yeh/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "爺爺".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 爺爺 | yé ye | grandfather |
Similarly, the term for paternal grandfather in Yue Chinese is "外公" (wài gōng), while the term for maternal grandfather is "姥爺" (lǎo yé).
Grandmother
The term for grandmother in Yue Chinese is "嫲嫲" (mā mā). It is pronounced as /mah mah/ and written using the traditional Chinese characters "嫲嫲".
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 嫲嫲 | mā mā | grandmother |
Similarly, the term for paternal grandmother in Yue Chinese is "外婆" (wài pó), while the term for maternal grandmother is "姥姥" (lǎo lao).
Uncle
The term for uncle in Yue Chinese depends on the side of the family. Paternal uncles are referred to as "伯父" (bó fù), while maternal uncles are referred to as "舅舅" (jiù jiu).
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 伯父 | bó fù | paternal uncle |
| 舅舅 | jiù jiu | maternal uncle |
For younger uncles, the term "叔叔" (shū shu) is used for paternal uncles, while the term "舅舅" (jiù jiu) is used for maternal uncles.
Aunt
Similar to uncles, the term for aunt in Yue Chinese also depends on the side of the family. Paternal aunts are referred to as "嬸嬸" (shěn shěn), while maternal aunts are referred to as "姨媽" (yí mā).
| Yue Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 嬸嬸 | shěn shěn | paternal aunt |
| 姨媽 | yí mā | maternal aunt |
For younger aunts, the term "阿姨" (ā yí) is used for both paternal and maternal aunts.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have learned the vocabulary for family members in Yue Chinese, including immediate family members and members of the extended family. Remember to use these terms according to age hierarchy and social etiquettes in different situations. Practice using these terms with your Chinese-speaking friends and family members to improve your communication skills. Keep up the good work and stay tuned for the next lesson in the "Complete 0 to A1 Yue Chinese Course!"