Chinese word

姥爷

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǎo yé

Meaning

  • nounmaternal grandpa

Example

周末我常常去看姥爷。zhōu mò wǒ cháng cháng qù kàn lǎo yé

On weekends, I often go see my maternal grandpa.

Illustration for 姥爷 (maternal grandpa)

More examples

最近我在照顾姥爷。zuì jìn wǒ zài zhào gù lǎo yé

Recently, I have been taking care of my maternal grandpa.

Core concept

A warm family title for the mother's father, used in ordinary speech rather than as a formal label.

Common phrases

  • 看望姥爷kàn wàng lǎo yé

    visit one's maternal grandpa

  • 给姥爷打电话gěi lǎo yé dǎ diàn huà

    call one's maternal grandpa

  • 和姥爷聊天hé lǎo yé liáo tiān

    chat with one's maternal grandpa

  • 照顾姥爷zhào gù lǎo yé

    take care of one's maternal grandpa

  • 给姥爷买礼物gěi lǎo yé mǎi lǐ wù

    buy a gift for one's maternal grandpa

Similar words

外公wài gōng: A commonly used southern family term for a mother's father.
外祖父wài zǔ fù: A formal term for a mother's father, used mainly in writing or formal settings.
爷爷yé yé: A spoken family term for a father's father.
祖父zǔ fù: A neutral, bookish term for a grandfather.

Definition in Chinese

指母亲一方的父亲，口语中常用作家庭内对长辈的称呼。zhǐ mǔ qīn yì fāng de fù qīn kóu yǔ zhōng cháng yòng zuò jiā tíng nèi duì zhǎng bèi de chēng hū

Word origin

The compound pairs 姥 (lǎo, "an older woman") with 爷 (yé, "grandfather"), a regional formation that came to name the mother's father.

Usage tips

  • Chinese family terms often show which parent connects a relative to the speaker, so this word helps distinguish one grandfather from the other in family conversations.

Opposites

Word lists with this word