Intermediate - Addressing Family Members (C1324)

A:  等会儿见到亲戚,我叫什么,你跟我叫就行了。
děng huǐr jiàndào qīnqi, wǒ jiào shénme, nǐ gēn wǒ jiào jiù xíng le.
In a little bit we're going to see the relatives. Whatever I call them, just follow my lead and it'll be okay.
B:  哎,这些称呼实在太搞了。
āi, zhèxiē chēnghu shízài tài gǎo le.
Agh, these forms of address really are too confusing.
C:  Tom,你好!
Tom, nǐhǎo!
Tom, hello!
B:  你好!
nǐhǎo!
Hello...
A:  大伯好。
dàbó hǎo.
Dabo, hello.
B:  大伯好。
dàbó hǎo.
Dabo, hello.
C:  快进来吧,大家都到了。
kuài jìnlai ba, dàjiā dōu dào le.
Hurry up and come in. Everyone's here.
B:  大伯是你爸的大哥,对吗?
dàbó shì nǐ bà de dàgē, duì ma?
'Dabo' is your father's eldest brother, right?
A:  对。什么“你爸”,现在也是你的爸爸。
duì. shénme" nǐ bà”, xiànzài yě shì nǐ de bàba.
That's right. What's this, 'your dad'. He's your dad now, too.
D:  Tom,你好啊!还记得我吗?
Tom, nǐhǎo a! hái jìde wǒ ma?
Tom, hello! Do you still remember me?
B:  当然记得!
dāngrán jìde!
Of course I remember!
A:  姑姑好。
gūgu hǎo.
Gugu, hello.
B:  姑姑好。
gūgu hǎo.
Gugu, hello.
D:  你姑夫带了白酒,说要跟你喝一杯。
nǐ gūfu dài le báijiǔ, shuō yào gēn nǐ hē yī bēi.
Your Gufu brought some baijiu. He says he wants to drink a glass with you.
B:  啊?
ǎ?
Ah?
A:  她跟你开玩笑的,别怕。姑姑是爸的妹妹,姑夫是她的老公。
tā gēn nǐ kāi wánxiào de, bié pà. gūgu shì bà de mèimei, gūfu shì tā de lǎogōng.
She's joking around with you, don't worry. 'Gugu' is dad's younger sister and 'gufu' is her husband.
B:  噢。姑姑、姑夫。
ò. gūgu、 gūfu.
Oh. Gugu, gufu.
E:  Tom,来来来,我们打游戏吧!
Tom, lái lái lái, wǒmen dǎ yóuxì ba!
Tom, come here. Let's play a game.
B:  那是彭博,对吗?
nà shì Péng Bó, duì ma?
That's Peng Bo, right?
A:  你怎么别的记不住,就记住我表弟了?
nǐ zěnme bié de jì bu zhù, jiù jìzhu wǒ biǎodì le?
How can't you remember any other ones? You only remember my 'biaodi' [younger male cousin on the mother's side]?
B:  因为可以直接叫他名字,不用记奇怪的称呼。
yīnwèi kěyǐ zhíjiē jiào tā míngzi, bùyòng jì qíguài de chēnghu.
Because I only have to remember his name. I don't have to remember some strange form of address.

Key Vocabulary

亲戚qīnqirelatives
jiàoto address
称呼chēnghuforms of address
实在shízàiin reality
gǎoconfusing
大伯dàbófather's eldest brother
大哥dàgēeldest brother
记得jìdeto remember
姑姑gūgufather's sister
姑夫gūfufather's sister's husband
dàito bring
白酒báijiǔChinese grain liquor
开玩笑kāi wánxiàoto make a joke
老公lǎogōnghusband
打游戏dǎ yóuxìto play a game
记不住jì bu zhùto be unable to remember
记住jìzhùto remember
表弟biǎodìyounger male cousin on mother's side
因为yīnwèibecause
直接zhíjiēdirectly
to remember
奇怪qíguàistrange

Supplementary Vocabulary

伯母bómǔwife of father's oldest brother
叔叔shūshufather's younger brother
婶婶shěnshenwife of father's younger brother
舅舅jiùjiumother's brother
舅妈jiùmāwife of mother's brother
姨妈yímāmother's sister
姨夫yífumother's sister's husband
表妹biǎomèimaternal younger female cousin
表哥biǎogēmaternal older male cousin
表姐biǎojiěmaternal older female cousin
堂哥tánggēpaternal older male cousin
堂姐tángjiěpaternal older female cousin
堂弟tángdìpaternal younger male cousin
堂妹tángmèipaternal younger female cousin

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