shūshu
father's younger brother, friendly address
Chinese has no single word for "uncle". In pinyin you choose by relation. shūshu is the father's younger brother, bófù the father's older brother and jiùjiu the mother's brother.
Meaning: brother of a parent or husband of an aunt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| shūshu | father's younger brother, friendly address |
| bófù | father's older brother |
| jiùjiu | mother's brother |
Children also say shūshu, written 叔叔 (shūshu), to men their parents' age who are not relatives, much like English "uncle" for a family friend.
What does it mean word for word?
The husband of an aunt has his own word too. Gūfu is the husband of the father's sister and yífu is the husband of the mother's sister.
How do you pronounce it?
The second syllable of shūshu and jiùjiu is light and has no tone.
Did you know?
- Chinese family terms are exact, so an uncle on the mother's side and an uncle on the father's side have different words.
Examples in context
- Wǒ shūshu zài Běijīng gōngzuò.My uncle works in Beijing.
- Jiùjiu gěi wǒ mǎi le yí ge lǐwù.My uncle bought me a gift.
- Shūshu, nǐ hǎo!Hello, uncle!
Example conversation
Little Xiao Mei greets her Uncle, her mother's brother, when he visits.
- Xiao MeiJiùjiu, nǐ lái le!Uncle, you came!
- UncleXiǎo Měi, zhǎng gāo le.Xiao Mei, you have grown taller.
- Xiao MeiWǒ yǐjīng bā suì le.I am already eight.
