auntie

auntie — noun

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

1.名詞A1
釋義

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.

possessive + auntie referring to a parent's sister

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

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

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.

non-relative addressed as Auntie + surname

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

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.