gu1 gu1姑姑
Jyutpinggu1 gu1
Yalegū gū
Definition
Paternal aunt; a father's sister.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the father's sister. In many Hong Kong families, it is common to use more specific kinship terms like 姑媽 for the father's older sister or 姑姐 for the father's younger sister instead of the generic term.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 姨媽 or 阿姨, which refer to the mother's sisters. Remember that 姑 always relates to the father's side of the family.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
