Lesson 5 Activity 3 

 

 3. Within one generation there are siblings and spouses, and in the next generation there are children and cousins.  Familiarize yourself with the following kinship terms.  Listen and repeat after the speaker.

 

Older brother 哥哥go go, 大佬dai lo (informal)
Younger brother 弟弟dai dai, 細佬sai lo (informal)
Older sister  姐姐je je, 家姐ga je (informal)
Younger sister 妹妹mui mui, 細妹sai mui (informal)
Hu sband 先生sin san, 老公lo kung (informal)
Wife 太太tai tai, 老婆lo por (informal)
Children 細路sai lo, 仔女jai lui
Cousin – paternal: 堂哥tong go (older male), 堂弟tong dai (younger male)
  堂姊tong je (older female), 堂妹tong mui (younger female)
– maternal: 表哥biu go (older male), 表弟biu dai (younger male)
  表姊biu je (older female), 表妹biu mui (younger female)
Uncle 阿伯ah bak (father’s older brother), 阿叔ah suk (father’s younger brother), 舅父kau fu (mother’s older brother), 舅父kau fu (mother’s younger brother)
Aunt 姑媽gu ma (father’s older sister), 姑姐gu je (father’s younger sister), 姨媽yi ma (mother’s older sister), 阿姨ah yi (mother’s younger sister)
Nephew 姪jut (paternal) 姨甥yi sang (maternal)
Niece 姪女jut lui (paternal), 外甥女oi sang lui (maternal)
Mother-in-law 岳母auk mo /外母oi mo (wife’s mother)
  奶奶lai lai /家婆ga por (husband’s mother)
Father-in-law /外父oi fu, 岳父auk fu (wife’s father),
  老爺lo ye (husband’s father)
Son-in-law 女婿 lui sei
Daughter-in-law 新抱  sun po
Brother-in-law 大伯dai bak (husband’s elder brother),
  叔仔suk jai (husband’s younger brother),
  大舅dai kau (wife’s elder brother),
  舅仔kau jai (wife’s younger brother),  
  姐夫je fu (elder sister’s husband)
  妹夫mui fu (younger sister’s husband)
Sister-in-law 姑奶gu lai (husband’s elder sister),
  姑仔gu jai (husband’s younger sister),
  大姨dai yi (wife’s elder sister),
  姨仔yi jai (wife’s younger sister),
  阿嫂ah so (older brother’s wife),
  弟婦dai fu (younger brother’s wife)
Married 已婚 yi fun
Unmarried/Single 未婚mai fun /單身dan sun
Engaged 訂婚 ding fun
Widowed 守寡 sout gwa

  

Grammar Note:  Talking about your family

People generally ask how many siblings one has in his/her family (你有幾個兄弟姊妹呀? Nei yau gei gor hing dai je mui ah?). They will ask a married couple how many children they have (你有幾個仔女呀? Nei yau gei gor jai lui ah?). If you are an only child, you say: 我係獨生女。Ngo hai duk san lui. (“I am the only daughter.”) or 我係獨生子。Ngo hai duk san ji. (“I am the only son.”) If you are the eldest child, you say: 我排最大。Ngo pai jui dai.(“I am the eldest”.) or if you are the youngest,  我排最細。Ngo pai jui sai. (“I am the youngest.”).