Question 1

What does 阿姨 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

阿姨 (āyí) literally means 'mother's sister' but in everyday Mandarin it is mostly used as a friendly form of address for any unrelated woman roughly your mother's age. Chinese kids greet a friend's mom, a neighbor, or the lady at the corner store as 阿姨; the word carries warmth and respect without the formality of 女士 (nǚshì).

It is also the standard word for a hired domestic helper or nanny — 'my 阿姨' usually means the woman who cleans the house or looks after the kids, not a relative. Two things surprise English speakers: first, you address her directly as 阿姨 the way English speakers might say 'ma'am'; second, choosing between 阿姨 and 姐姐 (older sister) is a quiet age judgment — getting it wrong can offend.

Question 2

How do you pronounce 阿姨?

Accepted Answer

阿姨 is pronounced āyí — 阿 (ā), 姨 (yí).

Question 3

Is 阿姨 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

阿姨 is a noun, register: spoken. Used both for family (mother's sister) and, more often in daily life, as a polite address for any woman roughly your mother's age — neighbors, shop owners, cleaners, nannies. Calling a much younger woman 阿姨 sounds aging; use 姐姐 (jiějie) if she might be near your own age.

Question 4

What is the measure word for 阿姨?

Accepted Answer

Use 位 (wèi). Example: 一位阿姨 — polite. Other measure words: 个 (gè).

Question 5

What's the difference between 阿姨 and 姐姐?

Accepted Answer

姐姐 means 'older sister' and is used to address a woman who looks close to your own age. Calling a 30-year-old 阿姨 instead of 姐姐 can come across as saying she looks old.

Question 6

What's the difference between 阿姨 and 妈妈?

Accepted Answer

妈妈 is your own mother. 阿姨 is someone else's mother or any older woman. Children sometimes mix these up when they first start speaking.

阿姨

What does 阿姨 mean?

Character breakdown

Measure word for 阿姨

Example sentences

Common phrases with 阿姨

Synonyms

Don't confuse 阿姨 with

FAQ