gu1 po4姑婆
Jyutpinggu1 po4
Yalegū pòh
Definition
Grandfather's sister; great-aunt.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the paternal side of the family, distinguishing her from maternal great-aunts who are called 姨婆. While it denotes a formal kinship role, it is often used as a term of endearment or respect within the family hierarchy. In some contexts, it can also refer to an unmarried older woman, though this usage is becoming less common and can be perceived as slightly derogatory.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
My great-aunt is coming to Hong Kong to visit us next week.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 姨婆, which refers to the sisters of your grandmother. Using the wrong term will cause confusion about which side of the family you are referring to.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
