ngoi6 gung1外公
Jyutpingngoi6 gung1
Yalengoih gūng
Definition
Maternal grandfather; one's mother's father.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
While 外公 is widely understood, many Cantonese speakers prefer using the more colloquial term 公公 to address their maternal grandfather directly. Using 外公 often sounds slightly more formal or descriptive, similar to how one might specify the maternal side in written contexts. In casual family settings, children almost exclusively call him 公公.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
My maternal grandfather loves going to the park for a walk.
How old is your maternal grandfather this year?
Related words
Common phrases
visit maternal grandfather
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 外公 with 公公, but they are not interchangeable in all contexts. While 外公 specifically denotes the maternal side, 公公 can also refer to a husband in some older or specific regional dialects, though this is less common in modern Hong Kong Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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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.
