taai3 lou5 je4太老爺太老爷
Jyutpingtaai3 lou5 je4
Yaletaai lóuh yèh
Definition
An honorific term used by servants to address their master's father.
datedpeoplefamily
How it's used
Historically used by household staff to address the father of the head of the house, this term carries a strong sense of traditional hierarchy and domestic formality. While rarely heard in modern urban households, it remains a staple in period dramas and historical settings to denote respect for the eldest male generation of a wealthy family.
Measure word
wai6位waihExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 老爺, which is the standard term for a father-in-law or the master of the house. Using 太老爺 in a modern, casual context can sound overly dramatic or ironic.
Grammar color guide
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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).
