Meaning of 爷爷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (coll.) paternal grandfather; grandpa
How to use 爷爷
爷爷 is what you call your father's father, both when talking to him and about him. It is also a friendly way for children to address any elderly man. Example: 我爷爷今年八十岁。(Wǒ yéye jīnnián bāshí suì.) My grandpa is eighty this year.
爷 (yé) has 父 (fù, father) on top, so think of it as the father above your father. Say it twice, 爷爷, the way children do, and you have grandpa.
Common mistake: Learners often use 爷爷 for both grandfathers, but your mother's father is usually 姥爷 (lǎoye) in the north or 外公 (wàigōng) in the south. Also, the second 爷 is neutral tone, so say yéye, not yéyé.
爷爷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
爷 yé · grandfather · 6 strokes
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爷 yé · grandfather · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 爷爷.
| 大爷 | dàye | arrogant idler; self-centered show-off |
| 姥爷 | lǎoye | (coll.) mother's father; maternal grandfather |
| 老爷 | lǎoye | (respectful) lord; master |
| 老天爷 | lǎotiānyé | God; Heavens |
| 少爷 | shàoye | son of the boss; young master of the house |
| 王爷 | wángye | prince; marquis |
| 老爷爷 | lǎoyéye | (polite) elderly man |
| 爷们 | yémen | menfolk (collective term for men of different generations); husbands and their fathers etc |
| 老爷子 | lǎoyézi | my (your etc) old father; polite appellation for an elderly male |
| 师爷 | shīyé | (historical) privately hired legal or administrative advisor to a government official; tea |
| 老爷车 | lǎoyechē | classic car |
| 爷们儿 | yémenr | erhua variant of 爺們|爷们[ye2 men5] |
Questions about 爷爷
What does 爷爷 mean?
爷爷 (yéye) means "(coll.) paternal grandfather; grandpa" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 爷爷?
爷爷 is made of 2 characters: 爷 (6 strokes), 爷 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 爷爷 an HSK word?
Yes. 爷爷 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 爷爷 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 爷爷 is written 爺爺.
What is the word for grandma that goes with 爷爷?
Your father's mother is 奶奶 (nǎinai). Your mother's mother is 姥姥 (lǎolao) or 外婆 (wàipó), depending on the region.
Does 大爷 mean grandpa too?
Not exactly. In northern speech 大爷 (dàye) can be a polite way to address an older man or your father's older brother, but it can also mean an arrogant person who expects to be served. It does not mean your own grandfather.