sam2嬸婶
Jyutpingsam2
Yalesám
Definition
One's aunt, specifically the wife of one's father's younger brother; also used to address middle-aged women.
- wife of one's father's younger brother; aunt
- polite or general address for a middle-aged woman
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the wife of one's father's younger brother. In daily life, it is also used as a polite, albeit slightly informal, way to address middle-aged women in service roles or neighborhood settings. Using it for a stranger can sometimes be perceived as aging them, so use with care.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I am visiting my aunt tomorrow, she is a great cook.
Did you ask auntie to come over for dim sum?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to address a woman who is clearly younger than your parents, as it can sound condescending or imply she is much older than she actually is.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
