eldest maternal aunt; respectful term for women of mother's generation
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
eldest maternal aunt (mother's eldest sister)
neutralOften suffixed with '儿' (dà yír) in northern dialects to sound more affectionate or colloquial. Refers specifically to the mother's eldest sister.
Wǒ我
dà大
yí姨
r儿
cóng从
Shàng上
hǎi海
lái来
kàn看
wǒ我
men们
le了
。
My eldest maternal aunt came from Shanghai to visit us.
Dà大
yí姨
，
nín您
shēn身
tǐ体
hái还
hǎo好
ma吗
？
Eldest Aunt, how is your health?
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Zài在
wǒ我
men们
jiā家
，
dà大
yí姨
shuō说
huà话
zuì最
yǒu有
fèn分
liàng量
。
In our family, the eldest aunt's words carry the most weight.
noun
respectful term for a woman of one's mother's generation (similar age to mother)
honorificUsed as a polite form of address for any woman roughly the same age as one's mother, not necessarily a blood relative.
Zhè这
wèi位
shì是
dà大
yí姨
，
shì是
wǒ我
mā妈
mā妈
de的
hǎo好
péng朋
you友
。
This is Auntie, a good friend of my mother's.
Xiǎo小
péng朋
you友
，
kuài快
jiào叫
dà大
yí姨
hǎo好
。
Little one, say hello to Auntie quickly.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Zhāng张
ā阿
yí姨
，
wǒ我
men们
dōu都
jiào叫
tā她
Zhāng张
dà大
yí姨
。
Auntie Zhang, we all call her Auntie Zhang.