sai3 baak3世伯
Jyutpingsai3 baak3
Yalesai baak
Definition
Uncle; a respectful term for a father's male friend, a friend's father, or a man of one's father's generation.
colloquialpeoplefamily
How it's used
Using this term shows respect for your parents' generation by acknowledging the social bond between your father and his peer. It functions as a polite address for a man who is a friend of your father or a friend's father, effectively bridging the gap between a formal title and a friendly uncle. It is rarely used to refer to one's own uncle by blood, for which specific kinship terms like 伯父 or 叔叔 are required.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Uncle, have you been keeping well lately?
I am going to visit my father's friend tomorrow and will buy some fruit on the way.
Related words
Common phrases
to visit a father's friend
Common mistake
Do not use this term for your own biological uncle, as it specifically denotes a friend of the family rather than a relative. Using it for a blood relative can sound distant or confusing to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
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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.
