姑姨 · Aunt
Aunt in Chinese: five words, one English one
“Aunt” is one word in English and five in Mandarin. Two of them are your parents' sisters; three are wives of your parents' brothers. The word tells you exactly where the person sits in the family.
The short answer
gū gu
father's sister
Father's sister.
yí mā
mother's sister
Mother's sister.
jiù mā
wife of mother's brother
Wife of your mother's brother.
bó mǔ
wife of father's older brother
Wife of your father's older brother.
shěn shen
wife of father's younger brother
Wife of your father's younger brother.
Which one should you use?
Also 姑妈 gūmā or 姑母 gūmǔ. Her husband is 姑父, and her children are your 表 cousins.
Older sister of your mother: 大姨; younger: 小姨. Formal: 姨母 yímǔ.
Your 舅舅's wife. Also 舅母 jiùmǔ.
Your 伯伯's wife. In the north, 大妈 dàmā.
Your 叔叔's wife. Also 婶母 shěnmǔ.
The aunt words, side by side
Three aunts by blood or marriage on each side of the family — and one generic word that travels.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bó mǔ | wife of father's older brother | your 伯伯's wife | In the north, 大妈 dàmā. Not to be confused with 伯母 as a polite word for a friend's mother. | |
| shěn shen | wife of father's younger brother | your 叔叔's wife | Also 婶母 shěnmǔ. | |
| gū gu | father's sister | your father's sister | Also 姑妈 gūmā or 姑母 gūmǔ. Her children are your 表 cousins — not 堂. | |
| jiù mā | wife of mother's brother | your 舅舅's wife | Also 舅母 jiùmǔ. | |
| yí mā | mother's sister | your mother's sister | Older sister of your mother: 大姨; younger: 小姨. 姨母 yímǔ is formal. | |
| ā yí | auntie | your mother's sister — or any woman of her generation | Also the default polite address for unrelated women of your parents' age, and a job title for domestic helpers. Context decides. |
阿姨 is also the default polite address for any woman of your parents' generation, and a job title for domestic helpers.
In a sentence
她是我姑姑的女儿，也就是我表姐。Tā shì wǒ gūgu de nǚ'ér, yě jiùshì wǒ biǎojiě.
She is my father's sister's daughter — my 表姐.
我姨妈每个周末都来我家吃饭。Wǒ yímā měi gè zhōumò dōu lái wǒ jiā chīfàn.
My maternal aunt comes to our house for dinner every weekend.
Common mistakes
- Using 阿姨 as the specific word for your aunt. It works as a generic “auntie”, but 姑姑 and 姨妈 are the precise terms.
- Calling your mother's sister 姑姑. The side of the family decides the word.
- Mixing up 姨妈 (mother's sister) and 舅妈 (mother's brother's wife). One is blood, one married in.
- Forgetting that 伯母 and 婶婶 depend on whether her husband is older or younger than your father.
The cultural bit
What the word carries
The aunt words are a compact map of the family: two blood aunts (father's sister, mother's sister) and three aunts by marriage (wives of the father's brothers and of the mother's brother). The split between 伯母 and 婶婶 repeats the older/younger rule one generation up.
Questions
What is the difference between 姑姑 and 姨妈?
姑姑 is your father's sister; 姨妈 is your mother's sister. They are on different sides of the family and are never interchangeable.
Is 阿姨 a real aunt?
It can be — 阿姨 is a common alternative for 姨妈 — but it is also the generic word for any woman of your parents' generation, and for domestic helpers. Context decides.
What is the difference between 舅妈 and 姨妈?
舅妈 is your mother's brother's wife; 姨妈 is your mother's sister. One married into the family, one was born into it.
How do you say aunt on your father's side?
姑姑 (gūgu) for his sister; 伯母 or 婶婶 for his brothers' wives, depending on whether the brother is older or younger than your father.
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