大姨媽

See also: 大姨妈

Chinese

big, eldest auntie
trad. (大姨媽) 姨媽
simp. (大姨妈) 姨妈

Etymology

The euphemistic sense was originally a Cantonese colloquialism.

Pronunciation


Noun

大姨媽

  1. (chiefly southern dialects) eldest maternal aunt (mother's eldest sister older than one's mother)
  2. (euphemistic, slang, humorous) Aunt Flo (a personification of the menstrual period or menstruation)
    大姨媽大姨妈   lái dàyímā   to be on one's period

Usage notes

If one's mother is the eldest of the sisters, her oldest sister is not reckoned as a 大姨媽 but as 二姨.

Synonyms

  • (eldest maternal aunt): 大姨 (dàyí)

Derived terms

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