Meaning of 大爷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (coll.) father's older brother
- uncle
- term of respect for older man
- arrogant idler
- self-centered show-off
How to use 大爷
In everyday speech, especially in northern China, 大爷 (dàye) is a warm, respectful way to address an older man you don't know, such as a street vendor or a neighbor. 大爷，请问地铁站在哪儿？(Dàye, qǐngwèn dìtiězhàn zài nǎr?) Uncle, excuse me, where is the subway station?
大 (dà) means big and 爷 (yé) is the 爷 in 爷爷 (yéye), grandpa. A "big grandpa" figure is an older man you show respect to, like your father's older brother or a friendly elderly neighbor.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 大爷 (dàye) with 爷爷 (yéye). 爷爷 is your own paternal grandfather or a much older man, while 大爷 is an uncle-aged older man. Also watch the tone: said as dàyé, it means an arrogant idler, so the respectful form keeps 爷 in the neutral tone.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
大 dà · big · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
爷 yé · grandfather · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 大爷.
| 大学 | dàxué | university; college |
| 爷爷 | yéye | (coll.) paternal grandfather; grandpa |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone; influential family |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup |
| 长大 | zhǎngdà | to grow up |
| 大部分 | dàbùfen | the greater part; the majority; most; Taiwan pr. [da4bu4fen4] |
| 大声 | dà shēng | loud voice; in a loud voice |
| 大量 | dàliàng | great amount; large quantity |
| 大多数 | dàduōshù | (great) majority |
| 大海 | dàhǎi | sea; ocean |
Questions about 大爷
What does 大爷 mean?
大爷 (dàye) means "(coll.) father's older brother; uncle" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 大爷?
大爷 is made of 2 characters: 大 (3 strokes), 爷 (6 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 大爷 an HSK word?
Yes. 大爷 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 大爷 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 大爷 is written 大爺.
How is 大爷 used as an insult?
In the dàyé sense it describes someone who acts lazy and entitled, expecting to be served. You might hear 你以为你是大爷啊？(Nǐ yǐwéi nǐ shì dàyé a?) meaning "Who do you think you are?" Context and tone make it clear it is not the polite address.
What is the female equivalent of 大爷?
The usual counterpart for an older woman is 大妈 (dàmā) or 阿姨 (āyí). 大妈 is closer in age and feel to 大爷, while 阿姨 is common for middle-aged women.