aunty

aunty — 名詞

1. a warm, everyday word for your aunt: the sister of one of your parents, or the w

1.名詞A1
釋義

阿姨；舅媽

父母的姊妹，或叔伯舅姨的妻子

a warm, everyday word for your aunt: the sister of one of your parents, or the woman married to your uncle or aunt.

例句

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

Mei 每個星期天都會去台南找她阿姨，一起吃手工水餃。

possessive + aunty referring to a family member

Aunty 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。

Aunty + given name as form of address

同義詞
  • aunt

    the standard, neutral form used in writing and formal speech

  • auntie

    an equally informal alternative spelling

反義詞
  • uncle

    the male equivalent in the family

文法句型

Aunty + [given name]

my/your aunty

用法筆記

Informal alternative to the neutral word 'aunt'. Common in family talk and in direct address; pair it with a given name (Aunty Mei, Aunty Olu) when speaking to the person.

常見錯誤

❌She is my aunty in law.
✅She is my aunt by marriage.
💡'aunty' is a casual family word; 'aunt by marriage' is clearer in formal writing.
❌I will visit aunty Olu next week.
✅I will visit Aunty Olu next week.
💡capitalize 'Aunty' 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

對親近年長女性的親切稱呼

a warm, respectful name a child or younger person uses for a friendly older woman who is not actually a relative, such as a neighbour, family friend, or shop owner.

例句

The kids on our street call the kind lady next door Aunty 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 Aunty + surname

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

Rosa 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
  • auntie

    the same meaning with the alternative spelling

  • ma'am

    more neutral and more widely accepted for strangers

反義詞
  • uncle

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

文法句型

Aunty + [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 'Aunty' shows warmth and respect.

常見錯誤

❌Excuse me, aunty, where is the train station?
✅Excuse me, ma'am, where is the train station?
💡in standard British or American English, calling a stranger 'aunty' can sound odd; use it for women your family already knows.