Cantonese Dictionary Vol. 7: Family & Relationship Words Every Diaspora Kid Should Know

May 29, 2026

Hong Kong street at night with illuminated signs and family-run shops

Of all the things Cantonese culture passes down, the words for family might be the most precious. Every diaspora kid knows the chest-tightening feeling of hearing "阿嫲" over a video call, or of finally pronouncing "細佬" the way your grandparents would. This volume is a primer on the family and relationship terms that hold a Cantonese household together — the ones used every single day in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and around dim sum tables from London to San Francisco.

Neon signs on a street in Mong Kok, Hong Kong at night — Mong Kok at night — the kind of streets where family names still echo across generations. Photo via Pexels

A note on Cantonese family vocabulary

Cantonese kinship is famously specific. Where English collapses everything into "grandma" or "uncle," Cantonese distinguishes between your mother's side and your father's side, older and younger, blood and marriage. This isn't pedantry — it's a worldview that places every person in a precise relationship to everyone else. The ten words below are the everyday backbone of that system.

1. 媽媽

maa1 maa1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Mom; mother.

Explanation: The most universal word in any language, but in Cantonese households it carries a particular weight — the person who runs the kitchen, the calendar, and the family WhatsApp group. Many Cantonese speakers also use 媽咪 (maa1 mi4), borrowed from English "mummy," especially in Hong Kong.

In real life: 媽媽，今晚食咩呀？("Mom, what's for dinner tonight?")

2. 阿爺

aa3 je4 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Paternal grandfather (your father's father).

Explanation: The 阿 (aa3) prefix is a casual marker of intimacy used before many family names. 阿爺 is the man who probably taught you to drink tea properly and corrected your chopstick grip when you were five. Some families also use 爺爺 (je4 je4*2).

In real life: 阿爺最叻整燒鵝。("Grandpa is the best at making roast goose.")

3. 阿嫲

aa3 maa4 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Paternal grandmother (your father's mother).

Explanation: The other half of the paternal line. 阿嫲 is the woman with the cleaver and the secret soup recipes, the one who insists you eat one more bowl. The 嫲 (maa4) character is specifically Cantonese — Mandarin speakers don't usually use it.

In real life: 阿嫲煲嘅老火湯最好飲。("Grandma's slow-simmered soup is the best.")

4. 公公

gung1 gung1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Maternal grandfather (your mother's father).

Explanation: The distinction between paternal (內) and maternal (外) lines is built right into the language. 公公 sits on the maternal side, traditionally seen as "outside" the patrilineal household — though in real life, the bond is usually just as deep.

In real life: 放假去公公屋企食飯。("On the holiday we're going to grandpa's place to eat.")

5. 婆婆

po4 po4 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Maternal grandmother (your mother's mother).

Explanation: Paired with 公公, this is the matriarch of your mother's side. In casual conversation, 婆婆 can also be used as a polite way to address any elderly woman — a kind of cultural shorthand for respect.

In real life: 婆婆好錫我。("Grandma really dotes on me.")

Aerial drone view of illuminated Mong Kok shopping area in Hong Kong at night — Mong Kok from above — every block here has its own family-run shop with three generations behind the counter. Photo via Pexels

6. 大佬

daai6 lou2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Older brother. Literally "big guy."

Explanation: 大佬 is the Cantonese workhorse word for older brother — but it also bleeds into the streets. It can mean "boss" among friends, the head of a triad in films, or just a casual address for any older guy you respect. Tone matters a lot.

In real life: 大佬，借支煙。("Bro, let me bum a cigarette.")

7. 細佬

sai3 lou2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Younger brother. Literally "small guy."

Explanation: The mirror of 大佬. 細佬 can also be used by older people to address a young man whose name they don't know — a polite, slightly affectionate term, like calling someone "young man" in English.

In real life: 細佬，幫我攞嗰個袋。("Little bro, grab that bag for me.")

8. 家姐

gaa1 ze1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Older sister.

Explanation: Literally "home elder sister." In Hong Kong this is the everyday word for older sister. If there's more than one, families count up: 大家姐 (eldest), 二家姐 (second eldest), and so on. It's a word built for big Cantonese families.

In real life: 家姐成日鬧我。("My older sister is always nagging me.")

9. 老公

lou5 gung1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Husband (informal/intimate).

Explanation: The everyday Cantonese word a wife uses for her husband. It's intimate — reserved for your own spouse or your close friend's spouse. For formal contexts (introducing him at work, say), 先生 (sin1 saang1) is the polite alternative.

In real life: 我老公做嘢做到好夜。("My husband works really late.")

10. 老婆

lou5 po4 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Wife (informal/intimate).

Explanation: The matching pair to 老公. Literally "old lady" — but with deep affection, not insult. The implication is the partner who grows old beside you. In formal speech, 太太 (taai3 taai2) is used instead.

In real life: 阿仔，去叫你老婆食飯。("Son, go tell your wife it's time to eat.")

Why these words matter

For a lot of diaspora Cantonese speakers, family words are the last words to leave you. You can forget how to say "library" or "appointment," but you'll never forget how to say 阿嫲. That's the strange gift of Cantonese — it builds your closest relationships into the grammar itself.

If you're learning, start by using these terms with your own family before anything else. Hearing your grandmother light up when you call her 阿嫲 properly is the best motivation in the world.