Jun 26 2007
Chinese guanxi 关系
Chinese use specific forms/titles to address each family member, stressing the relationship, distinguishing generations and branches.
Yeye 爷爷 and Nainai 奶奶 are reserved for paternal grandfather and grandmother while Gonggong 公公 and Popo 婆婆 (or Waigong外公,Waipo 外婆) are referred to maternal grandfather and grandmother, respectively. The titles for the grandparents vary slightly in different regions, but overall we just don’t round up the whole gang at one fell swoop.
For Aunt/Uncle we have Xiaoyi 小姨/Jiujiu 舅舅: mother’s sibiling, and Gugu 姑姑/Shushu 叔叔 (younger than your Dad) or Bofu 伯父 (older than your Dad). For niece/nephew, we have Waisheng 外甥女/Zhier.. 侄儿/女 .. .. Calling someone who’s generation(s) above you without a proper title considers rude. And using a wrong title is, well wrong too.
My paternal great grandfather had six concubines. The last one sired him few kids who are/were younger than my Dad. As by rule, Dad and Auntie Jenny all called them as Zhenggu 臻姑, Senshu 森叔. To me, of course I would address them as Zhennai 臻奶 and Senye 森爷. Senye is 3 years younger than my Dad, looks health and robust, silver hair and red cheeks, very handsome. Once I had dinner with Dad’s family, sat next to Senye. He was very pleasant to talk to and very chatty. So after a glass or two I lost the footing, called him Senshu- which I heard often from my Dad. Oh no. Senye’s face dropped, sat straight up, put down his chopstick, “Ningning, I’m your Yeye..”