家婆

Chinese

	home; family; ‑ist home; family; ‑ist; ‑er; ‑ian; measure word for stores and schools	grandmother; matron; mother-in-law
trad. (家婆)	家	婆
simp. ^#(家婆)	家	婆
alternative forms	雞婆／鸡婆 Taiwanese Hokkien
anagram	婆家

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): jiāpó

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄚㄆㄛˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): jia¹ po²
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gaa¹ po^4-2

(Taishan, Wiktionary): ga¹ po^3*
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): ke-pô / kee-pô

(Teochew, Peng'im): kê¹ bo⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiāpó
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚㄆㄛˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiapó
  - Wade–Giles: chia¹-pʻo²
  - Yale: jyā-pwó
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiapor
  - Palladius: цзяпо (czjapo)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ pʰu̯ɔ³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: jia¹ po²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: giapo
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕia⁵⁵ pʰo²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gaa¹ po^4-2
  - Yale: gā pó
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gaa¹ po^4-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: ga¹ po^4-2
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaː⁵⁵ pʰɔː²¹⁻³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: ga¹ po^3*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ka³³ pʰᵘɔ²²⁻²²⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ke-pô
  - Tâi-lô: ke-pô
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ke'pooi
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ke³³ po²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ke⁴⁴⁻³³ pɤ²³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /ke⁴⁴⁻²² po²⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ke⁴⁴⁻³³ po²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kee-pô
  - Tâi-lô: kee-pô
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɛ⁴⁴⁻²² po¹³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: kê¹ bo⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khe pô
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰe³³⁻²³ po⁵⁵/

Noun

家婆

(Southwestern Mandarin, including Sichuanese; Jianghuai Mandarin; dialectal Gan; Wu; Xiang) maternal grandmother
(Southwestern Mandarin, including Chongqing Sichuanese and Guangxi Mandarin; Singapore Mandarin; Cantonese; dialectal Hakka; Gan; Leizhou Min; Hainanese) mother-in-law (husband's mother)
(Southern Min) housekeeper; busybody

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 外祖母 (“maternal grandmother”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		外祖母, 外王母
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		外祖母
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	姥姥
	Taiwan	外婆, 阿嬤
	Ulanhot	姥姥, 姥兒
	Tongliao	姥姥, 姥兒
	Chifeng	姥姥
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	姥姥, 姥兒
	Harbin	姥兒, 姥姥
	Shenyang	姥娘
	Singapore	外婆, 婆婆
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	姥姥
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	姥娘
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	姥, 姥母
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Qingdao	姥娘
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	姥姥, 婆兒婆兒
	Wanrong	舅廈娘
	Zhengzhou	姥娘, 姥姥
	Xi'an	外奶, 舅家奶, 舅奶, 外婆 suburbs, 外拿 Hui
	Xining	外奶奶
	Xuzhou	外奶奶
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	舅奶, 舅奶奶, 外奶, 外奶奶
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	奶奶, 外奶奶, 姥姥
	Bayanhot	外奶奶, 姥姥
	Lanzhou	奶奶, 外奶奶
	Ürümqi	外奶奶
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	外婆, 家婆, 家家
	Wuhan	家家
	Guiyang	婆婆, 外婆
	Kunming	婆婆, 外婆
	Guilin	婆婆
	Liuzhou	外婆, 婆, 阿婆
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	婆婆
	Yangzhou	婆婆
	Nantong	外婆奶奶
	Hefei	外奶奶
	Huanggang	家婆
Cantonese	Guangzhou	阿婆 face-to-face, 婆婆, 外婆 non-face-to-face
	Hong Kong	阿婆, 婆婆
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	阿婆
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	外婆 non-face-to-face, 阿婆 face-to-face
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	姐婆
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	姐婆
	Macau	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Xinjiao, Haizhu)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Longxi, Liwan)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Huangpu)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Xinshi, Baiyun)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Shijing, Baiyun)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Jiangcun, Baiyun)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Longgui, Baiyun)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Renhe, Baiyun)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	阿婆
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	遠婆
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	阿婆
	Foshan	婆婆
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	阿婆
	Foshan (Shunde)	阿婆
	Foshan (Sanshui)	阿婆
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	外婆
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	阿婆
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	阿婆
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	祖婆
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	子婆
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	祖婆
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	祖婆
	Taishan	阿婆, 外婆, 婆, 婆婆
	Kaiping (Chikan)	阿婆
	Enping (Niujiang)	婆大
	Heshan (Yayao)	阿婆
	Dongguan	阿婆, 婆婆
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	阿婆
	Shaoguan	外婆
	Yunfu	阿婆
	Yangjiang	外婆
	Xinyi	外婆
	Lianjiang	姊婆, 阿婆
	Nanning	阿婆, 婆婆, 外婆
	Wuzhou	阿婆, 婆婆
	Yulin	外婆
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	外嫲
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	外婆
	Singapore (Guangfu)	外婆, 婆婆
Gan	Nanchang	阿婆
	Lichuan	阿婆
	Pingxiang	外婆
Hakka	Meixian	外阿婆, 外婆, 姐婆
	Xingning	姐婆
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	姐婆
	Huidong (Daling)	姐婆
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	姐婆
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	姐婆
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	姐婆
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	姐婆
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	姐婆
	Wuhua (Changbu)	姐婆
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	姐婆
	Wuhua (Meilin)	姐婆
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	姐婆
	Wengyuan	姐婆
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	姐婆
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	小婆
	Liannan	姐婆
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	姐婆
	Jiexi	姐婆
	Luhe	姐婆
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	外媽
	Changting	婆則
	Wuping	外娭姐
	Wuping (Yanqian)	外娭姐
	Wuping (Pingyu)	外阿婆
	Liancheng	外子媽
	Ninghua	婆婆
	Yudu	外婆
	Ningdu	外婆
	Ruijin	外婆
	Shicheng	外婆
	Shangyou (Shexi)	外婆
	Tonggu (Sandu)	外婆
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	外婆
	Dayu	外婆
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	姐婆
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	外阿婆, 阿婆
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	姐婆
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	外阿婆
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	姐嬤
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	外媽
	Hong Kong	姐婆
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	姐婆
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	姐婆
	Xinyi (Sihe)	姐婆
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	姐婆
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	外婆
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	外婆
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	姐婆
	Mengshan (Xihe)	姐婆
	Luchuan	姐婆
	Luchuan (Daqiao)	姐婆
	Sabah (Longchuan)	姐婆
	Senai (Huiyang)	姐婆
	Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)	姐婆
	Singkawang	姐婆
	Singapore (Dabu)	阿姐
Huizhou	Jixi	外婆
	Shexian	外婆
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	外婆
Jin	Taiyuan	娘娘, 姥娘, 姥姥
	Pingyao	婆婆
	Xinzhou	姥姥啊, 呀姥, 姥姥
	Taibus (Baochang)	姥姥
	Linhe	姥娘
	Jining	姥姥
	Hohhot	姥姥
	Baotou	姥姥
	Dongsheng	姥姥
	Haibowan	姥姥, 姥娘
Northern Min	Jian'ou	畲嫲, 嫲嫲, 外婆
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	畲嫲
	Songxi	婆
	Zhenghe	婆奶
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	外婆
	Jianyang	婆婆
	Wuyishan	外婆
	Pucheng (Shibei)	阿婆, 畲嫲
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	外媽
	Fuzhou (Changle)	外媽
	Fuqing	外媽
	Yongtai	外媽
	Gutian	外媽
	Fu'an	外婆
	Ningde	外婆
	Shouning	外婆
	Zhouning	娘婆
	Fuding	外婆
	Matsu	外媽
Southern Min	Xiamen	阿媽, 俺媽, 外媽
	Quanzhou	媽仔, 俺媽, 外媽
	Jinjiang	外家媽
	Zhangzhou	阿媽, 咉媽, 外媽
	Taipei	外媽, 阿媽 GT
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	外媽
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	外媽
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	外媽
	Kaohsiung	外媽
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	外媽
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	外媽
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	外媽
	Yilan	外媽
	Yilan (Toucheng)	外媽
	Tainan	外媽
	Tainan (Anping)	外媽, 俺媽
	Kinmen	外媽
	Penghu (Magong)	外媽
	Penghu (Xiyu)	外媽
	Penang (Hokkien)	阿媽, 媽, 外媽
	Singapore (Hokkien)	俺媽, 阿媽, 外媽
	Manila (Hokkien)	外媽
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	外媽
	Chaozhou	外媽
	Shantou	外媽
	Jieyang	外媽
	Haifeng	外婆
	Bangkok (Teochew)	外媽
	Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew)	外媽
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	外媽
	Singapore (Teochew)	阿媽, 外媽
	Leizhou	外家祖婆
	Wenchang	外婆
	Haikou	媽, 阿媽, 婆, 外家媽, 外家婆, 外媽
	Singapore (Hainanese)	阿婆
Puxian Min	Putian	外頭媽
Puxian Min	Xianyou	外頭媽
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	婆 face-to-face, 外家婆 non-face-to-face
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	阿婆, 外婆
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dahe)	外婆, 婆婆
Wu	Shanghai	外婆, 外婆爾奶, 爾奶
	Shanghai (Chongming)	親婆, 外婆, 阿婆
	Suzhou	外婆
	Wuxi	舅婆
	Danyang	婆婆
	Hangzhou	外婆
	Ningbo	外婆
	Wenzhou	外婆娘, 外婆
	Jinhua	外婆, 婆婆
Xiang	Changsha	外婆
	Xiangtan	外婆
	Loudi	外婆
	Shuangfeng	外婆
	Hengyang	外婆
	Quanzhou	外婆
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Dialectal synonyms of 婆婆 (“husband's mother; mother-in-law”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		婆婆
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	婆婆
	Taiwan	婆婆
	Harbin	婆婆, 老婆婆
	Shenyang	老婆婆
	Singapore	家婆
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	婆婆
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	婆
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	婆
	Wanrong	阿家, 婆婆
	Xi'an	婆, 阿公婆
	Xuzhou	老婆婆, 婆家娘, 婆婆娘
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	婆婆
	Lanzhou	婆婆
	Ürümqi	婆婆
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	婆婆, 老人婆
	Wuhan	婆婆
	Guiyang	老婆婆
	Kunming	婆婆
	Liuzhou	家婆
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	老婆婆
	Yangzhou	婆, 婆太太
	Nantong	婆老太, 婆
	Hefei	婆婆, 老婆婆
Cantonese	Guangzhou	家婆, 奶奶, 大人婆 dated
	Hong Kong	家婆, 奶奶
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	家婆
	Taishan	家婆
	Dongguan	家婆, 奶奶
	Yangjiang	家婆
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	家婆, 奶奶
	Singapore (Guangfu)	家婆, 奶奶
Gan	Nanchang	婆, 婆子
	Lichuan	家娘
	Pingxiang	家娘, 家娘老子, 家婆
Hakka	Meixian	家娘
	Xingning	家娘
	Huidong (Daling)	家娘
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	家娘婆
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	家婆
	Changting	家娘
	Wuping	家娘
	Wuping (Pingyu)	家娘
	Liancheng	家娘
	Ninghua	家婆
	Yudu	家婆
	Ruijin	家婆, 奶奶
	Shicheng	家婆
	Shangyou (Shexi)	家婆
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	家娘
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	家娘
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	家娘
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	家娘
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	家娘
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	家婆
	Hong Kong	家娘
	Sabah (Longchuan)	家娘
	Senai (Huiyang)	家婆
Huizhou	Jixi	婆
Jin	Taiyuan	婆婆
Jin	Xinzhou	老娘娘, 婆婆
Northern Min	Jian'ou	媽媽
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	大家, 大家奶
Eastern Min	Fuqing	大家, 大家姑, 阿娘
Southern Min	Xiamen	大家
	Quanzhou	大家
	Zhangzhou	大家
	Taipei	大家
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	大家
	Kaohsiung	大家
	Yilan	大家仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	大家
	Taichung	大家
	Taichung (Wuqi)	大家
	Tainan	大家
	Taitung	大家
	Hsinchu	大家
	Kinmen	親姆
	Penghu (Magong)	大家
	Penang (Hokkien)	娘
	Singapore (Hokkien)	大家
	Manila (Hokkien)	大家
	Chaozhou	大家
	Shantou	大家
	Haifeng	大家婆
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	大家
	Singapore (Teochew)	大家
	Leizhou	家婆
	Haikou	家婆
Puxian Min	Putian	大家
Puxian Min	Xianyou	大家
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	奶
Wu	Shanghai	婆婆, 阿婆, 婆阿媽 dated
	Shanghai (Chongming)	婆
	Suzhou	阿婆
	Danyang	婆婆
	Hangzhou	阿婆, 婆老太太
	Ningbo	阿婆, 婆婆
	Wenzhou	大家娘
	Jinhua	婆
Xiang	Changsha	家娘
	Loudi	家娘
	Shuangfeng	家娘
	Hengyang	家娘

Adjective

家婆

(Southern Min) nosy; meddlesome

Descendants

→ Baba Malay: kaypoh
→ English: kaypoh (Singaporean & Malaysian)
→ Indonesian: kepo
→ Tagalog: kepo

Verb

家婆

(Southern Min) to stick one's nose into others' business; to meddle in other people's business

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 多管閒事 (“to meddle in other people's business; to be a busybody”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		多管閒事, 多事
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	多管閒事, 多事, 雞婆
Northeastern Mandarin	Singapore	多管閒事
Cantonese	Hong Kong	多管閒事, 多事
Southern Min	Taipei	家婆 GT, 多事 GT
	Penang (Hokkien)	家婆
	Singapore (Hokkien)	家婆
	Manila (Hokkien)	家婆
	Singapore (Teochew)	家婆
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

橫插一槓子／横插一杠子 (héngchāyīgàngzǐ)
插一槓子／插一杠子 (chāyīgàngzǐ)
管閒事／管闲事 (guǎnxiánshì)