爷 (yé) — grandfather (bound form, used in 爷爷); polite term for an older man (bound form, used in 大爷); master (bound form, used in 老爷 and 少爷)
Definition
Bound form meaning 'grandfather / older male elder'. Almost never stands alone — it appears in compound words: 爷爷 (paternal grandfather), 大爷 (polite address for an older man), and 老爷/少爷 (master / young master, formal or historical).
bound form
grandfather (bound form, used in 爷爷)polite term for an older man (bound form, used in 大爷)master (bound form, used in 老爷 and 少爷)
Examples
- ，？Zhè wèi dà yé, nín xū yào bāng máng ma?This uncle, do you need help?
- ，。Lǎo yé, wài miàn yǒu rén zhǎo nín.Master, there is someone outside looking for you.
- ，。Shào yé, nín de chē dào le.Young master, your car has arrived.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 爺; 爷 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 爺 combines 父, meaning father, with 耶 as a sound part; the simplified 爷 is a later shorthand, so its visible pieces do not carry that original role.
Appears in
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