爺 (yé) - Grandfather & father

爺Tone 2

yé ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

嬿一

爺 · yé

Grandfather;

father;

respectful term for an elderly man;

master;

lord;

used colloquially to refer to oneself or others in certain contexts.

Grandfatherfatherrespectful term for an elderly man

Usage highlights

GrandfatherMaster/LordUncleAncestorsGod of WealthPrince

Synonyms

  • 祖父— Grandfather (formal)
  • 老爹— Old man, dad (colloquial)

Antonyms

  • 孙— Grandson (generational opposite)
  • 奴— Slave (status opposite)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My grandfather (爷爷) is very kind.
  • He acts like he's the boss (大爷).
  • In some dialects, men refer to themselves as 'ye' (爷).
  • The temple enshrines the God of Wealth (财神爷).

Collocations

  • Grandfather(爷爷)
  • Master/Lord(老爷)
  • Uncle (older than father)(大爷)
  • Ancestors(祖宗爷)
  • God of Wealth(财神爷)
  • Prince(王爷)

Idioms

  • Acting like a boss(摆老爷架子)
  • The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuchs are (皇帝不急太监急) - sometimes rephrased with '爷' contextually.
  • A rich second generation (富二代爷) - colloquial extension.

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to denote a person of high status, such as a feudal lord or master.
  • In northern Chinese dialects, especially Beijing, used colloquially by men to refer to themselves, implying a sense of pride or nonchalance.
  • The term conveys respect for elders and authority figures in formal contexts, but can be used ironically or arrogantly in informal speech.

FAQ