姑姑和叔叔
Gūgu hé shūshu
The phrase "aunt and uncle" in Chinese is translated as 姑姑和叔叔 (Gūgu hé shūshu).
This phrase refers specifically to the father's sister and the father's brother.
What does it mean word for word?
姑姑 (gūgu) means paternal aunt, and 叔叔 (shūshu) means paternal uncle (specifically a father's younger brother).
Which one should you use?
姑姑和叔叔 is specific to the father's side of the family. Different terms are used when referring to maternal relatives.
How do you pronounce it?
Gūgu hé shūshu
Did you know?
- The word for uncle, 叔叔 (shūshu), is often used by children as a polite way to get the attention of any adult male in a shop or restaurant. It acts as a respectful way to say 'excuse me, mister'.
- The word 姑姑 is repeated twice because Chinese often uses reduplication to create a tone of affection or intimacy when addressing family members.
- The term 叔叔 (shūshu) is actually more specific than 'uncle' because it strictly implies the uncle is younger than the father. If he were older, a completely different title would be required.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢我的姑姑和叔叔。Wǒ xǐhuān wǒ de gūgu hé shūshu.I like my aunt and uncle.
- 姑姑和叔叔住在上海。Gūgu hé shūshu zhù zài Shànghǎi.My aunt and uncle live in Shanghai.
- 那是我的姑姑和叔叔吗？Nà shì wǒ de gūgu hé shūshu ma?Are those my aunt and uncle?
Example conversation
浩然 and 梓涵 are looking at an old family photo.
- 浩然 Haoran照片里的那两个人是谁？Zhàopiàn lǐ de nà liǎng gè rén shì shéi?Who are those two people in the photo?
- 梓涵 Zihan那是我的姑姑和叔叔。Nà shì wǒ de gūgu hé shūshu.Those are my aunt and uncle.
- 浩然 Haoran他们看起来很亲切。Tāmen kàn qǐlái hěn qīnqiè.They look very kind.
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，他们人都很好。Shì de, tāmen rén dōu hěn hǎo.Yes, they are both very nice people.
