baak3 po4伯婆
Jyutpingbaak3 po4
Yalebaak pòh
Definition
Wife of either paternal or maternal grandfather's elder brother; grandaunt.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Kinship terms in Cantonese are highly specific and distinguish between paternal and maternal sides, as well as relative age. Using 伯婆 specifically denotes the wife of the elder brother of one's grandfather, which is a precise genealogical level that is often grouped under more general terms like 太婆 or 阿婆 in less formal contexts.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I will go visit my grand aunt next week.
Do you remember where grand aunt lives?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 伯婆 with 婆婆, which is the general term for a grandmother or an elderly woman. Using 伯婆 for a random elderly lady is incorrect and will sound confusing to native speakers.
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.
