suk1叔
Jyutpingsuk1
Yalesūk
Definition
Uncle; a term of address for one's father's younger brother.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the younger brother of one's father, whereas the older brother is called 伯. In modern social settings, it is also used as a polite, respectful term of address for any man who is roughly the same age as one's father, regardless of any actual blood relation.
Examples
My third uncle is coming over for dinner today.
Remember to say hello when you see your uncle.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 伯, which is strictly for the father's older brother. Using 叔 for an older man might be seen as slightly diminishing his seniority, though it is often used generically for any middle aged man in casual conversation.
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).
