ngoi6 zou2 fu6外祖父
Jyutpingngoi6 zou2 fu6
Yalengoih jóu fuh
Definition
Maternal grandfather; mother's father.
neutralfamilypeople
How it's used
While 外祖父 is the formal term for a maternal grandfather, it is rarely used in casual, everyday speech. Most people in Hong Kong refer to their mother's father as 公公, which is the standard colloquial term. Using 外祖父 in a family setting might sound overly formal or distant, as if you are reading from a textbook or a legal document.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
My maternal grandfather really likes to drink tea.
How old is your maternal grandfather this year?
Related words
Common phrases
kind maternal grandfather
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the formal term with the colloquial one. If you call your grandfather 外祖父 when talking to your family, they might find it strange or humorous because it sounds like you are introducing a stranger rather than your own relative.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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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).
