Ate, kuya - but what if they're younger?

Question

I think it's charming how Pinoys call an older respected person "ate" or "kuya." What are the terms for "little sister" and "little brother" and are they used as frequently as "ate" and "kuya"?

So ... when someone calls me Ate Dina, do I address the younger person as "[little sister] Genelyn" or "[little brother] Jondel"? Am I obligated to do so? Is it more polite or respectful than if I just called them by their names?

Answer 1

there's no such calling of some sort. however, (for example there were 3 sis and bros) my cousins call the middle one "diche" (if girl); "diko" (if boy), and the youngest will be called "bunso". but you know its not necessary though.

Answer 2

you just call them by their names =)

Answer 3

call them by their names ;)

Answer 4

no, you just call them by their nicknames. its kind of weird if you call them "kapatid" which is the term for brother/sister. calling them by their names would just be fine.

Answer 5

inday - little sister

dodong  - little brother

Answer 6

who ate who?

kuya? don't you yell that in karate?

While in Rome, Do as the Romans do!

call each other by your first names, to include the parents and granny & gramps!

it's the American way!

Answer 7

younger girl-- either nene, ne or ineng

younger boy-- either toto, to, totoy or utoy

or you may just call them by their names.

Answer 8

call the by their names or nicknames........

otherwise,

youngers boys are to be called

=toy

=totoy

=pogi

=bunso(if he is the last child)

younger girls are called

=ne

=nene

=ineng

=ganda

=bunso(if she is the last child)

                -------*don't include their names (ex. totoy Jose, its wrong)

Answer 9

well I am married to a Filipina and her sisters call me Kuya and I use the term alot too to others because we live around alot of Philippine people here in VA Beach,but I have never heard them call a younger one anything but the name but just a respect of the eldest like manang and manong for the older manong being to the males.As in Spanish they use tita and tito for uncle and auntie also.Hope I helped you,lol...Ingat Ka Palagi

Answer 10

Hoy! halika dito!

or a simple PSSSTTTT.... would do....

Answer 11

you can call them ditse (female- second to the eldest) or diko (male-second to the eldest), or you may say sanse(female) or sangko (male),if he or she is the youngest call them bunso..

let me give to you the tree of hierarchy so that it would be so clear to you..

Male= female

Kuya= Ate

Diko= Ditse

Sangko=sanse

Buns0=bunso

if there will be succeeding siblings... you will again repeat it to the top... ate or kuya...so on and so forth..

that's our practice in bulacan... hope it helps!

Answer 12

Address the kids by how they are fondly called.

Address the elders as "Aunt" or "Uncle" if you're not sure how you're related, and as "Grandma" if this is the case.  This is simplifying things.   Actually, I was taught that if the lineage of the kid is older than myself the kid should bear the honorific. (Supposing I was offspring of the third youngest in a family of seven.  Their first born (my Uncle) marries late and bore little kids when I was already a full grown man.   This kid who is my cousin is in fact my "Kuya"!   Kinda confusing, huh?

So, forget about it.   Stick to the simpler rules.

Now, as to "Kuya" being used in Karate,  this is a wonderful idea!   Yeah!  I think it should give better force than the usual "Kiya"!!    Especially when you hate your older brother and you wanna imagine him as that "makiwara" you're hitting.

Hahahahahaha!

Answer 13

you can call them by their names

Answer 14

younger sibblings - use their nicknames

Answer 15

When someone's older, you call kuya or ate. But if they're younger, it's okay, you can call them by their names.=)

It's nice to see a question about pinoys, I grew up in the Philippines, but parents are originally from China.

Mabuhay!!