In Cantonese, family isn't just people you're related to — it's the vocabulary you inherit. The words for your dad, your grandma, your mom's brother and your dad's older sister are all completely different, and each one carries a specific place on a family tree that Cantonese speakers memorise before they can read.
This is Cantonese Dictionary Vol. 25 — ten essential Cantonese family words, all with fact-checked Jyutping and real-life examples. Learn these and you'll survive any Cantonese family dinner in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, or a diaspora Chinatown near you.
The Cantonese family tree is a language of its own
Cantonese uses distinct terms for paternal versus maternal relatives, and older versus younger siblings. There is no lazy word for 'aunt' — you have to specify whose sister she is, and whether she is older or younger than that parent. It sounds intimidating, but it's actually beautiful: every kinship word tells you exactly who someone is in the family.
1. 老豆
lou5 dau6 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Dad (colloquial, affectionate).
Explanation: The everyday Hong Kong word for father. It's warm but casual — the kind of word you use with siblings or friends, not on a formal wedding invitation. The proper written form is 老竇, but almost everyone writes 老豆 in text messages.
2. 阿媽
aa3 maa1 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Mom (informal).
Explanation: The everyday word for mother in spoken Cantonese. The 阿 (aa3) prefix is a Cantonese speciality — it softens kinship terms into something warm and familial. Add 阿 to almost any relative and you turn 'mother' into 'mum'.
3. 阿爺
aa3 je4 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Paternal grandfather (your dad's dad).
Explanation: In Cantonese kinship, 爺 (je4) is always your father's father — never your mother's. Getting this wrong at a family dinner is a rite of passage for diaspora kids returning to Hong Kong for Lunar New Year.
4. 阿嫲
aa3 maa4 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Paternal grandmother (your dad's mom).
Explanation: 嫲 (maa4) is unique to Cantonese — Mandarin uses different words entirely. For many Cantonese diaspora families, 阿嫲 is the person who taught them how to steam fish, fold dumplings, and shout at the TV during Cantonese opera.
5. 公公
gung1 gung1 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Maternal grandfather (your mom's dad).
Explanation: Because Cantonese draws a sharp line between paternal and maternal, your mother's father gets a totally different name from your father's. The formal version is 外公 (ngoi6 gung1) — 'outside grandfather' — a reminder that mother's family is traditionally considered the 'outside' line.
6. 婆婆
po4 po4 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Maternal grandmother (your mom's mom).
Explanation: Cantonese kids often have two grandmothers in the room and are expected to remember which is which. 婆婆 is mom's mother; 阿嫲 is dad's mother. Mix them up and your relatives will laugh — and correct you every time.
Aunts, uncles and the older/younger rule
In Cantonese, an uncle isn't just an uncle. He's your dad's older brother, your dad's younger brother, your mom's brother, or your dad's sister's husband — and each one has a different name. Here are two of the most common you'll actually use.
7. 舅父
kau5 fu6*2 (often heard as kau5 fu2) — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Maternal uncle (your mother's brother).
Explanation: The colloquial pronunciation drifts the second syllable from fu6 to fu2 — a common Cantonese tone-shift you'll hear at every dinner table. Only used for mom's brothers, never dad's.
8. 姑媽
gu1 maa1 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Paternal aunt — specifically your dad's older sister (usually married).
Explanation: A younger paternal aunt is 姑姐 (gu1 ze1). Cantonese doesn't just track which side of the family — it tracks birth order. It's an incredibly efficient way of encoding social hierarchy into a single word.
Siblings — the older/younger split
9. 家姐
gaa1 ze1 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Elder sister.
Explanation: Uniquely Cantonese — Mandarin uses 姐姐. The word 家 (gaa1, 'family') at the front adds a homey warmth. In Hong Kong shops, staff will also call older female customers 靚姐 or just 家姐 as a friendly form of address.
10. 細佬
sai3 lou2 — Jyutping romanisation
Meaning: Younger brother.
Explanation: Literally 'small guy'. Deeply Cantonese — you won't hear this in Mandarin at all. Also used affectionately by older men to address younger men they don't know, the same way English speakers use 'kid' or 'buddy'.
Why this vocabulary matters
Cantonese kinship words aren't just labels — they're a social map. When someone at yum cha calls you 阿妹 or 家姐, you instantly know your place in the room. When your 阿嫲 corrects you for calling your 公公 the wrong thing, she's teaching you a system of respect that goes back centuries. Learn these ten words and you're not just learning vocabulary. You're learning how a Cantonese family sees the world.
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