auntie

/ˈɑːnti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈænti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈan-tē ˈän-/ (ame, mw)

auntie — 名詞

1. a friendly, everyday word for your aunt — that is, the sister of one of your par

1.名詞A1
釋義

阿姨；舅媽

父母的姊妹或舅伯叔的妻子

a friendly, everyday word for your aunt — that is, the sister of one of your parents, or the woman married to your uncle.

例句

Every Sunday, Mei visits her auntie in Tainan to eat homemade dumplings.

美美每個星期天都會去台南找她阿姨，一起吃手工水餃。

possessive + auntie referring to a parent's sister

Auntie Lin baked a banana cake for my fifth birthday party.

林阿姨為我的五歲生日派對烤了一個香蕉蛋糕。

Auntie + given name as form of address

同義詞
  • aunt

    the standard, neutral form used in writing and formal speech

  • aunty

    alternative spelling, equally informal and child-friendly

反義詞
  • uncle

    the male equivalent in the family

文法句型

Auntie + [given name]

my/your auntie

用法筆記

Informal counterpart to 'aunt'. Commonly used by children and within the family; pair with a given name (Auntie Mei, Auntie Olu) when used as a vocative.

常見錯誤

❌She is my aunty in law.
✅She is my aunt by marriage.
💡'auntie' is a casual form for blood family or close in-laws; the formal phrase 'aunt by marriage' is preferred in writing.
❌I will visit auntie Olu next week.
✅I will visit Auntie Olu next week.
💡capitalize 'Auntie' when it works as a title before a name.

2. a warm, respectful name a child or younger person uses for a friendly older woma

2.名詞A2
釋義

阿姨

對親近長輩女性的親切稱呼

a warm, respectful name a child or younger person uses for a friendly older woman who is not actually a relative — for example, a neighbour, family friend, or shop owner they know well.

例句

The kids on our street call the kind lady next door Auntie Wang.

我們這條街上的小孩都叫隔壁那位和善的女士王阿姨。

non-relative addressed as Auntie + surname

Every morning, Auntie Rosa hands the school children warm bread from her bakery.

羅莎阿姨每天早上都會從她的麵包店拿熱麵包給上學的孩子。

同義詞
  • aunty

    same meaning, alternative spelling

  • ma'am

    more neutral and widely accepted for strangers, especially in American English

反義詞
  • uncle

    the parallel friendly term for an older man who is not a relative

文法句型

Auntie + [given name or surname]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: there is no blood or marriage relationship here. Common in many English-speaking communities, especially among South Asian, Caribbean, and East Asian families, where calling a friendly older woman 'Auntie' shows respect.

常見錯誤

❌Excuse me, auntie, where is the train station?' (said to a stranger).
✅Excuse me, ma'am, where is the train station?
💡in standard British or American English, addressing a stranger as 'Auntie' can sound odd; use it only for older women your family already knows.