aa3 naai5亞奶亚奶
Jyutpingaa3 naai5
Yalea náaih
Definition
Paternal grandmother
colloquialfamily
How it's used
Refers specifically to the paternal grandmother in many traditional Cantonese-speaking families. While often written as 亞奶, it is also common to see it written as 阿奶. It carries a warm, informal tone suitable for talking about one's own family members or those of close friends.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I will go home to visit grandma tomorrow.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 奶媽, which refers to a wet nurse or a nanny. Using 亞奶 for a non-relative can sound overly familiar or confusing depending on the context.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
