baa1爸baa1爸
father / dad
baa1爸baa1爸hou2好mong4忙
Dad is very busy
Learn
Immediate Family
Parents and siblings
Your closest relatives are the natural place to begin, and this lesson gives you the words for parents and siblings. You will be able to name your mother, father, and each brother or sister, noting how Cantonese marks older and younger siblings differently. By the end you can point to a photo and say who everyone is.
What you'll learn
- Say “dad” with 爸爸 (baa1 baa1)
- Say “mum” with 媽媽 (maa1 maa1)
- Name an older brother as 哥哥 (go1 go1)
- Name an older sister as 姐姐 (ze2 ze2)
- Refer to a younger brother as 弟弟 (dai6 dai6)
- Refer to a younger sister as 妹妹 (mui6 mui6)
Let's learn how to talk about your immediate family. In Cantonese, there are specific terms for older and younger siblings!
maa1媽maa1媽
mother / mom
maa1媽maa1媽hou2好leng3靚
Mom is very pretty
go1哥go1哥
older brother
go1哥go1哥zung1鍾ji3意jam2飲caa4茶
Older brother likes going for dim sum
tung4同
and / with
ngo5我jau5有go1哥go1哥tung4同gaa1家ze1姐
I have an older brother and an older sister
gaa1家ze1姐
older sister
gaa1家ze1姐zyu2煮ge3嘅faan6飯hou2好hou2好sik6食
The food my older sister cooks is really delicious
sai3細lou2佬
younger brother
sai3細lou2佬zung6仲hou2好sai3細
Younger brother is still little
mui6妹mui6妹
younger sister
mui6妹mui6妹gam1今nin4年ng5五seoi3歲
Younger sister is five years old this year
Frequently asked questions
How do you say mother in Cantonese?
Mother is 媽媽 (maa1 maa1), the warm everyday word a child uses for mum. Father is its pair, 爸爸 (baa1 baa1).
How do you say brother and sister in Cantonese?
Cantonese splits siblings by age. An older brother is 哥哥 (go1 go1) and an older sister is 姐姐 (ze2 ze2), while a younger brother is 弟弟 (dai6 dai6) and a younger sister is 妹妹 (mui6 mui6).
Why are some Cantonese family words doubled?
Many close-relative terms repeat the same syllable, like 爸爸 and 妹妹. The doubling makes them sound familiar and affectionate, which is why they are the first family words learners pick up.