Chinese word

叔叔

Pronunciation

Pinyinshū shū

Meaning

  • noununcle

Example

这是我的叔叔。zhè shì wǒ de shū shū

This is my uncle.

Illustration for 叔叔 (uncle)

More examples

我经常跟叔叔聊天，他给我很多建议。wǒ jīng cháng gēn shū shū liáo tiān tā gěi wǒ hěn duō jiàn yì

I often chat with my uncle, and he gives me a lot of advice.

Core concept

A family-based form of address for a man in the father's generation, centered on the father's younger brother and extended to familiar men of a similar age.

Common phrases

  • 去看望叔叔qù kàn wàng shū shū

    go visit uncle

  • 跟叔叔聊天gēn shū shū liáo tiān

    chat with one's uncle

Similar words

伯伯bó bo: A familiar spoken term for a father's older brother.
伯父bó fù: A formal written term for a father's older brother.
叔父shū fù: A formal term for a father's younger brother.
舅舅jiù jiù: A familiar spoken term for a mother's brother.

Definition in Chinese

对父亲的弟弟的称呼，也常用来称呼父辈中熟悉或年龄接近父亲的男性，不用于指母亲的兄弟。duì fù qīn de dì di de chēng hū yě cháng yòng lái chēng hū fù bèi zhōng shú xī huò nián líng jiē jìn fù qīn de nán xìng bú yòng yú zhǐ mǔ qīn de xiōng dì

Word origin

The base character 叔 (shū, "father's younger brother") names the original relationship, and repeating it turns the kin term into a familiar spoken form.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, this form can be an address rather than a report of exact family membership, which explains why a child may use it for a familiar adult who is not a blood relative.

Opposites

Word lists with this word