Vocabulary 03 - Family Members in Cantonese (with Audios)

Discover a comprehensive guide to family member terminology in Cantonese, including both basic and advanced vocabulary. This blog post covers everything from immediate family like parents and siblings to extended family such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Learn the correct Jyutping pronunciations and understand the cultural context and formality of each term. Perfect for language learners and anyone interested in Cantonese family structures and relationships.
Vocab03 Family Members in Cantonese

Table of Content

#   Members of Family in Cantonese (Basic)
#   Members of Family in Cantonese (Advanced)

Members of Family in Cantonese (Basic)

Cantonese

English

Notes

屋()企()人()

家()人()

Family members

屋企人 - less formal

家人 - more formal

親()戚()

Relatives

父()母()

Parents

仔()女()／囝()囡()

子()女()／孩()子()

/

Children

仔女/囝囡 - more common in daily life

By dictionary, 囡 is not but some people use it in this way.

子女/孩子 - formal, usually used in writing

兄()弟()姊()妹()

Siblings

Mother

媽()媽()

Mother

媽()咪()

Mummy

usually used by children

阿()媽()

Ma, Mum

老()母()

Mum, (old) Mother

老母 sometimes sounds rude

母()親()

Mother

Formal, usually just appear in writing

Father

爸()爸()

Father

爹()地()／爹()啲()

Daddy

usually used by children

阿()爸()

Pa, Dad

老()竇()／老()豆()

Dad

父()親()

Father

Formal, usually just appear in writing

Children

阿()仔()／囝()囝()

Son

阿()女()／囡()囡()

Daughter

The official pronounciation of 囡 is not neoi4 or neoi2, but many people use 囡 to represent daughter

Siblings

家()姐()

姐()姐()

/

Elder Sister

家姐 - more common in daily life

姐姐 - more formal, sometimes used by children to address young women

阿()哥()／大()佬()

哥()哥()

/

Elder Brother

大佬 - informal

阿哥 - more common in daily life

哥哥 - more formal, sometimes used by children to address young men

阿()妹()／細()妹()

妹()妹()

/

Younger Sister

阿妹/細妹 - more common in daily life

妹妹 - more formal, sometimes used to address young girls or women

細()佬()

弟()弟()

/

Younger Brother

細佬 - more common in daily life

弟弟 - more formal

Partners/Spouses

老()婆()

太()太()

/

Wife

老婆 - more common in daily life

太太 - formal

老()公()

先()生()

/

Husband

老公 - more common in daily life

先生 - formal, it can also mean Mr. or Teacher

Members of Family in Cantonese (Advanced)

Cantonese

English

Notes

Grandma

婆()婆()／阿()婆()

Mother's Mother

阿婆 sometimes mean old women

嫲()嫲()／阿()嫲()

Father's Mother

Grandpa

公()公()／阿()公()

Mother's Father

爺()爺()／阿()爺()

Father's Father

Grandchildren

孫()仔()／外()孫()

Grandson

Traditionally, 外 refers to daughter's children, but 孫仔 and 孫女 are commonly used for both son's and daughter's children nowadays

孫()女()／外()孫()女()

Granddaughter

Aunt

姨()媽()

Mother's Elder Sister

阿()姨()

Mother's Younger Sister

姑()媽()

Father's Elder Sister

姑()姐()

Father's Younger Sister

Uncle

舅()父()

Mother's Brother

applicable to both younger and elder ones

［大()］伯()

Father's Elder Brother

大 can be replaced by a number to show the ranking.

E.g. 二伯 - father's elder brother, who ranks second

阿()叔()／［細()］叔()

Father's Younger Brother

細 can be replaced by a number to show the ranking.

E.g. 三叔 - father's younger brother, who ranks third

Cousins (mother side)

表()姐()

Elder Female Cousin
(Mother's side)

表 refers to cousin relationship of the maternal side.

.

姐哥妹弟 are used as it is when addressing brothers and sisters.

表()哥()

Elder Male Cousin
(Mother's side)

表()妹()

Younger Female Cousin
(Mother's side)

表()弟()

Younger Male Cousin
(Mother's side)

Cousins (father's side)

堂()姐()／堂()家()姐()

Elder Female Cousin
(Father's side)

堂 refers to cousin relationship of the paternal side.

.

姐哥妹弟/家姐,阿哥,阿妹,細佬 are used as it is when addressing brothers and sisters.

堂()哥()／堂()阿()哥()

Elder Male Cousin
(Father's side)

堂()妹()／堂()阿()妹()／堂()細()妹()

Younger Female Cousin
(Father's side)

堂()弟()／堂()細()佬()

Younger Male Cousin
(Father's side)