sou2嫂
Jyutpingsou2
Yalesóu
Definition
An elder brother's wife; sister-in-law.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Family titles in Cantonese are almost always preceded by the prefix 阿 to sound natural and respectful. Referring to someone simply as 嫂 without a specific title like 大嫂 or 二嫂 can sound slightly abrupt or overly formal, so it is safer to include the prefix or a specific rank.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Your sister-in-law's cooking is delicious.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 嫂 with 姨, which refers to a mother's sister. Remember that 嫂 specifically denotes a female relative by marriage through an elder brother, whereas 姨 is a blood relative.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
