so1 tong4 lou5 biu2疏堂老表
Jyutpingso1 tong4 lou5 biu2
Yalesō tòhng lóuh bíu
Definition
A distant cousin; a distant relative on the maternal or paternal-aunt side.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to relatives who share a common ancestor but are separated by several generations, making the kinship quite thin. It carries a sense of social distance, implying that while there is a blood connection, the relationship lacks the intimacy of immediate family. People often use it to explain why they might not know a relative well or why they do not interact frequently.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is my distant cousin, I haven't seen him for a long time.
Do you know which one is my distant cousin?
Related words
Common phrases
distant relative
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe close cousins, as it specifically emphasizes the lack of closeness. It is also not used for relatives by marriage, only for blood relations sharing a lineage.
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).
