姑仔
gu1 zai2
The Cantonese term for sister-in-law is 姑仔 (gu1 zai2).
姑仔 is used specifically to refer to the wife of one's brother.
Which one should you use?
While 姑仔 refers to the wife of a brother, the informal term 阿嫂 can also be used for sister-in-law.
How do you pronounce it?
gu1 zai2
Did you know?
- In Cantonese kinship terms, the specific word for 'sister-in-law' changes entirely based on whether she is the wife of your older brother or your younger brother.
- The term 姑仔 actually uses the character 姑, which is typically used to refer to an aunt or a paternal female relative, rather than a sister-related term.
- Adding the suffix 仔 to 姑 creates a diminutive form, which is a common way in Cantonese to make kinship terms sound more affectionate or informal.
Examples in context
- 佢係我丈夫嘅兄嫂She is my husband's sister-in-law.
- 我大哥嘅姑仔好親切。ngo5 daai6 go1 ge3 gu1 zai2 hou2 can1 cit3.My eldest brother's wife is very friendly.
- 姑仔今日去咗買嘢。gu1 zai2 gam1 jat6 heoi3 zo2 maai5 je5.The sister-in-law went shopping today.
- 你知唔知我個姑仔喺邊？nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 ngo5 go3 gu1 zai2 hai2 bin1?Do you know where my sister-in-law is?
