Chinese phrases
How to say uncle in Chinese
Uncle in Chinese is 叔叔 (shū shu) for your father’s younger brother, 伯伯 (bó bo) for his older brother and 舅舅 (jiù jiu) for your mother’s brother. 叔叔 is also what children call any man their parents’ age.
叔叔
uncle (your father’s younger brother)
All three end on a light, short syllable: shū shu, bó bo, jiù jiu.
Ways to say uncle
叔叔
Everydayuncle (your father’s younger brother)
Your father’s younger brother. Also any man about your parents’ age: a friend’s father, a neighbour.
伯伯
Everydayuncle (your father’s older brother)
Your father’s older brother. Many families say 大伯 for the eldest. In much of the north, people call him 大爷.
舅舅
Everydayuncle (your mother’s brother)
Your mother’s brother. One word covers her older and younger brothers.
姑父
Everydayuncle (your father’s sister’s husband)
The husband of 姑姑, your father’s sister.
姨父
Everydayuncle (your mother’s sister’s husband)
The husband of 姨妈, your mother’s sister.
大叔
Everydaymister; uncle
A friendly, casual word for a man in his forties or fifties you don’t know. Not polite enough for a customer or a boss.
Uncles by birth order
With more than one uncle on a side, families add a number or “big” and “little.”
大伯
your father’s eldest brother
The eldest of your father’s brothers.
二叔
your father’s second-born brother
The number is his place in birth order.
大舅
your mother’s eldest brother
The same pattern on your mother’s side.
小舅
your mother’s youngest brother
The youngest, whatever his number.
Common mistakes
叔叔 for your father’s older brother
叔叔 is younger than your father and 伯伯 is older. The wrong word gets the birth order wrong, and families notice.
Every uncle on your mother’s side is 舅舅
Only your mother’s brothers are 舅舅. The husbands of her sisters are 姨父, and the husbands of your father’s sisters are 姑父.
叔叔 for a taxi driver
Adults call a driver, a cook or a repairman 师傅. 叔叔 is what a child would say.
叔叔 for a young man
叔叔 puts a man in your parents’ generation. A man in his twenties may take it as a comment on his age. Say 你好, or in a shop, 帅哥.
Meeting a friend’s uncle
这是我叔叔，我爸爸的弟弟。
Qiqi: This is my uncle, my dad’s younger brother.
叔叔好！
Leon: Hello!
你好！欢迎欢迎！
Qiqi’s uncle: Hi! Welcome!
