舅舅

• Pinyin: jiù jiu
• Hanzi breakdown: 舅 = 臼 (mortar, phonetic) + 男 (male/man) — maternal uncle; reduplicated for informal, affectionate address

Meaning

Maternal uncle; mother's brother.

The specific term for one's mother's brother in Chinese kinship terminology, which distinguishes precisely between maternal and paternal relatives. 舅舅 is the informal, affectionate form; the more formal written term is 舅父. In Chinese culture, the maternal uncle often plays a significant role in family gatherings and celebrations. Not interchangeable with 叔叔 (paternal uncle, father's younger brother).

Examples

1. 我舅舅在国外工作多年，每逢春节才回来和全家人团聚，大家都很想他。 My maternal uncle has been working abroad for many years and only comes back during Chinese New Year to reunite with the family — everyone misses him.
2. 她小时候住在外公家，舅舅经常带她去公园玩，给她留下了许多温暖的童年记忆。 When she was little, she lived at her maternal grandfather's house, and her uncle often took her to the park — leaving her with many warm childhood memories.
3. 舅舅得知我考上了研究生，特意从外地赶来庆祝，请全家人吃了顿丰盛的大餐。 When my uncle learned I had been accepted into postgraduate school, he came specially from out of town to celebrate and treated the whole family to a lavish dinner.

Usage Guide

Context: family, everyday, social

Tone: affectionate

Do Say

• 舅舅，好久不见！你最近身体好吗？(Uncle, long time no see! How have you been keeping?)
• 我妈的弟弟，也就是我舅舅，今年刚退休了。(My mum's younger brother — my maternal uncle — just retired this year.)

Don't Say

• 他是我叔叔，我爸妈的兄弟。(Use 叔叔 for a paternal uncle — father's younger brother; 舅舅 is specifically mother's brother. Confusing them marks a misunderstanding of Chinese kinship terms)

Origin & History

舅 (maternal uncle) — an ancient Chinese kinship term. 舅舅 is a reduplication for affectionate or informal address, following the same pattern as 妈妈, 爸爸, 哥哥.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal