‘姑妈’ (gū mā) is a noun meaning ‘paternal aunt’ — specifically, the sister of one’s father. The character 姑 (gū) on its own means ‘father’s sister’, while 妈 (mā) is a respectful or affectionate suffix meaning ‘mother’ or ‘aunt’, often used to indicate familiarity and seniority. Together, 姑妈 conveys both the familial relationship and a tone of respect or warmth, commonly used in spoken and written Chinese when addressing or referring to this relative.

This term is slightly more formal or traditional than the colloquial ‘姑姑’ (gū gu), and is especially common among older generations or in formal family settings. It reflects Chinese kinship terminology’s precision: unlike English, which uses ‘aunt’ for both paternal and maternal aunts, Chinese distinguishes them clearly — ‘姑妈’ is only for the father’s side, while ‘姨妈’ (yí mā) refers to the mother’s sister. Children often use it when speaking directly to their father’s sister or when narrating family stories.