Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 叔叔 | shúshu | informal |
| 伯父 | bófù | formal |
| 伯伯 | bóbo | informal |
| 叔父 | shúfù | formal |
| 姑父 | gūfù | |
| 姑丈 | gūzhàng | |
| 舅父 | jiùfù | formal |
| 舅舅 | jiùjiu | informal |
| 姨父 | yífù | |
| 姨丈 | yízhàng | |
| 姨夫 | yífū |
叔叔 is used for a father's younger brother and can also be used as a polite way to address any man of your father's generation who is not a relative. 舅舅 is used specifically for your mother's brother. For the husbands of your aunts, you use 姑父 for a paternal aunt's husband and 姨丈 for a maternal aunt's husband.
Which one should you use?
叔叔 refers specifically to a father's younger brother, while 伯伯 is used for a father's older brother. For maternal relatives, 舅舅 is used for a mother's brother. Regarding aunts' husbands, 姑父 refers specifically to the husband of your paternal aunt, while 姨丈 refers to the husband of your maternal aunt.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a father's older brother, the informal or affectionate form is 伯伯, while the formal term is 伯父. For a father's younger brother, the informal term is 叔叔 and the formal term is 叔父. For a mother's brother, the informal term is 舅舅 and the formal term is 舅父.
How does it change in a sentence?
The reduplication of the character in 伯伯 makes it an informal or affectionate way to address a father's older brother.
How do you pronounce it?
shúshu
When do people say it?
叔叔 is used not only for family members but also as a polite way to address men who are somewhat younger than your father but older than yourself.
Did you know?
- The term 舅舅 is often associated with a more 'indulgent' or 'pampering' role in Chinese family dynamics compared to the more authoritative father's brothers.
- In many Chinese families, children are taught to address even complete strangers as 'uncle' or 'auntie' to show politeness and build social rapport.
- The distinction between 舅舅 and 叔叔 reflects a deep cultural divide between the maternal and paternal sides of the family, which historically carried different social obligations.
Examples in context
- 我叔叔開旅館。My uncle runs a hotel.This sentence is useful for practicing the form 叔叔.Tatoeba #1270581 by tsayng, translation #65072 by CK
- 我的舅舅在彈吉他。My uncle is playing the guitar.This sentence is useful for practicing the form 舅舅.Tatoeba #2635811 by cienias, translation #7808087 by sharris123
- 汤姆是玛丽的叔叔。Tom is Mary's uncle.Tatoeba #8939102 by crescat, translation #1028532 by CK
- 您好，伯伯！Hello, Uncle!
- 伯伯，我好想念您。Uncle, I miss you so much.
- 叔叔，你好吗？Hello, Uncle! How are you?
- 舅舅，我最喜欢和你一起玩了。Uncle, I love playing with you the most.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran are walking in a park and see an old acquaintance.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看，那是你的叔叔吗？Hàorán, nǐ kàn, nà shì nǐ de shūshu ma?Haoran, look, is that your uncle?
- 浩然 Haoran对，他就在前面。Duì, tā jiù zài qiánmiàn.Yes, he is right ahead.
- 佳怡 Jiayi快去跟他打个招呼吧。Kuài qù gēn tā dǎ ge zhāohū ba.Go say hello to him quickly.
- 浩然 Haoran好的，我这就过去。Hǎo de, wǒ zhè jiù guòqù.Okay, I'm going over now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “uncle” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
