kau5 gung1舅公
Jyutpingkau5 gung1
Yalekáuh gūng
Definition
Grandmother's brother; maternal granduncle.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the brothers of one's maternal grandmother. It is a formal kinship term used to address or refer to these elders, reflecting the importance of hierarchy in traditional family structures. When speaking directly to them, it is common to add their birth order, such as 大舅公 or 二舅公, to show respect.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I will go visit my great-uncle during the Lunar New Year.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 叔公, which refers to the brothers of one's paternal grandfather. Using the wrong term can be seen as disrespectful or confusing regarding family lineage.
Grammar color guide
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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).
