Learn the Cantonese words for grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins, so you always know what to call each relative at the family table.
If you grew up in a Cantonese-speaking family, you probably know the feeling: an older relative walks in, everyone knows exactly who they are, and you freeze because you cannot remember what to call them. English has "aunt" and "grandma" and little else. Cantonese is far more precise, and the title you choose tells everyone which side of the family a person belongs to and whether they are older or younger than your parents. Learning these words is one of the quickest ways to sound like a grandchild rather than a visitor.
In many Cantonese-speaking families, calling someone by their first name is unthinkable. Titles show respect, and they show that you know where you fit in the family. A relative who hears the right title feels recognised. That small moment of recognition often matters more than perfect grammar.
The good news is that the system is logical. Once you learn a handful of patterns, you can work out most of the rest.
This is where heritage learners most often mix things up. Many families use different words for the mother's parents and the father's parents.
Mother's father: 公公 ( gūng gūng , gung1 gung1), also heard as 外公 ( ngoih gūng , ngoi6 gung1)
Mother's mother: 婆婆 ( pòh pó , po4 po2), also heard as 外婆 ( ngoih pòh , ngoi6 po4)
Father's father: 爺爺 ( yèh yé , je4 je2)
Father's mother: 嫲嫲 ( màh má , maa4 maa2)
Families differ, and some use other words entirely, so listen to what your own relatives say and copy them. If you are unsure, ask your parents once and write it down.
You will often hear 阿爸 ( a bā , aa3 baa1) for dad and 阿媽 ( a mā , aa3 maa1) for mum. The 阿 ( a , aa3) at the front is a friendly, familiar prefix. It softens a title and makes it sound affectionate, which is why it appears in so many family words.
Here the two sides of the family matter again, and so does age. A few titles to start with:
Mother's elder sister: 姨媽 ( yìh mā , ji4 maa1)
Father's elder sister: 姑媽 ( gū mā , gu1 maa1)
Father's younger brother: 叔叔 ( sūk sūk , suk1 suk1)
Many families have more titles than these, depending on whether the relative is older or younger than your parent, and on regional habits. Treat this list as a starting point rather than the whole map.
Cousins are named by whether they are older or younger than you, and by which side they come from. Two common examples are 表哥 ( bíu gō , biu2 go1) for an older male cousin on your mother's side, and 表姐 ( bíu jē , biu2 ze1) for an older female cousin on that side. For an older male cousin on your father's side, you can say 堂哥 ( tòhng gō , tong4 go1).
Notice that the second syllable, 哥 ( gō , go1) meaning older brother, tells you the cousin is older than you. Spot that pattern and you will start decoding new titles on your own.
Titles come alive when you put them in short sentences. Here are some that work for almost any family gathering:
好耐冇見 ( hóu noih móuh gin , hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3): long time no see
我好掛住你 ( ngóh hóu gwa jyuh néih , ngo5 hou2 gwaa3 zyu6 nei5): I miss you very much
食咗飯未 ( sihk jó faahn meih , sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6): have you eaten yet? A very typical way for relatives to say hello
唔該 ( m̀h gōi , m4 goi1): please, or thank you for a service
多謝 ( dōjeh , do1 ze6): thank you for a gift or a kindness
Put the title first and the phrase second, for example the title for your grandmother followed by 我好掛住你 . It is simple, and it will be remembered long after a perfect sentence is forgotten.
Draw your family tree on one page. Write the Cantonese title beside every person, and add your own family's name for them if it differs from the standard word. Then say each title aloud, ideally while someone in the family listens and corrects you. Heritage learners usually understand more than they think, so the real task is turning that recognition into confident speaking.
It also helps to practise at festivals, when whole families gather. Our guide to giving and receiving red packets shows how titles and blessings work together at Lunar New Year.
Practise these family words with a patient AI tutor whenever you have a spare five minutes. Start free on CantonLink