姑姑

• Pinyin: gū gu
• Hanzi breakdown: 姑 = 女 (woman) + 古 (old, phonetic), a kinship term for father's sister

Meaning

Paternal aunt; father's sister. A kinship term for one's aunt on the father's side.

Specifically refers to the father's sister, distinguishing from 阿姨 (mother's sister or general term for middle-aged women). The single character 姑 can also mean mother-in-law (husband's mother) in the term 婆婆/姑婆. Reduplication (姑姑) is the standard affectionate address form, while 姑妈 is more formal.

Examples

1. 姑姑每年春节都会从北京回老家，给我们带很多好吃的。 Every Chinese New Year, my aunt comes back to our hometown from Beijing and brings us lots of delicious food.
2. 我姑姑是个医生，小时候生病都是她帮我看的。 My aunt is a doctor — when I got sick as a kid, she was the one who would see me.
3. 姑姑的女儿比我大三岁，我们从小一起长大，关系特别好。 My aunt's daughter is three years older than me; we grew up together and are really close.

Usage Guide

Context: family, kinship

Tone: affectionate

Do Say

• 姑姑，好久不见！(Auntie, long time no see!)
• 我姑姑住在上海。(My aunt lives in Shanghai.)

Don't Say

• 把妈妈的姐妹叫姑姑 (Don't call your mother's sisters 姑姑 — they're 阿姨 or specifically 姨妈)

Origin & History

Reduplication of 姑 (father's sister). The character 姑 combines 女 (woman) with 古 (old, phonetic component), an ancient kinship term.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal