爹爹 (diē diē) — dad, daddy (colloquial); (dialectal) grandfather | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial, often dialectal term for 'dad' or 'grandfather' depending on region. In Wuhan and parts of central/southern China it means 'grandfather'; elsewhere it usually means 'dad, daddy' — more regional and intimate than 爸爸.

noun

daddaddy (colloquial)(dialectal) grandfather

Examples

爹爹，。
Wǒ diē diē jīn nián liù shí suì le, shēn tǐ hái hěn jiàn kāng.
My dad is sixty years old this year and still very healthy.
，爹爹。
Zài wǔ hàn, hěn duō rén jiào yé ye wèi diē diē.
In Wuhan, many people call their grandfather 'diēdie'.
，爹爹。
Xiǎo shí hou, diē diē cháng dài wǒ qù hé biān diào yú.
When I was little, Dad often took me fishing by the river.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

爹 means father; the familiar form uses it twice to say dad.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

父多爹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

父父fùfather

Sound part声符shēngfú

多

多duō爹diē

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

爹 has 父, meaning father, on top, and 多 below to give its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

父多爹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

父父fùfather

Sound part声符shēngfú

多

多duō爹diē

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

爹 has 父, meaning father, on top, and 多 below to give its sound.

Appears in

Family & Kinship

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