Family words in Mandarin (普通话/國語)

Words for family members and other relatives in Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), a Sinitic language spoken in China, Taiwan and many other places.

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, m = male, f = female, + = elder, - = younger, pt-= paternal, mt-= maternal

  Mandarin (普通话/國語)
family 家庭 (jiātíng)
relative 亲戚 [親戚] (qīnqi)
parents 父母 (fùmǔ)
father 父親 (fùqīn) frm
爸爸 (bàba) inf
mother 母親 (mǔqīn) frm
妈妈 [媽媽] (māma) inf
children 孩子 (háizi)
儿童 [兒童] (értóng)
son 儿子 [兒子] (érzi)
daughter 女儿 [女兒] (nǚ'ér)
spouse 配偶 (pèi'ǒu)
husband 先生 (xiānshēng) frm
丈夫 (zhàng fu) frm
老公 (lǎogong) inf
wife 太太 (tàitài) frm
妻子 (qīzi)
老婆 (lǎopó) inf
siblings 兄弟姐妹 (xiōngdì jiemèi)
brother 哥哥 (gēge) +
弟弟 (dìdi) -
sister 姐姐 (jiějie) +
妹妹 (mèimèi) -
uncle 伯伯 (bóbo) father's elder brother
叔叔 (shūshu) father's younger brother
姑丈 (gūzhàng) father's sister's husband
舅舅 (jiùjiu) mother's brother
姨丈 (yízhàng) mother's sister's husband
aunt 姑姑 (gūgu) father's sister
婶婶 (shěnshen) father's brother's wife
姨妈 [姨媽] (yímā) mother's sister
舅妈 [舅媽] (jiùmā) mother's brother's wife
cousin (paternal) 堂兄 (tángxiōng) +m
堂弟 (tángdì) -m
堂姐 (tángjiě) +f
堂妹 (tángmèi) -f
cousin (maternal) 表兄 (biǎoxiōng) +m
表弟 (biǎodì) -m
表姐 (biǎojiě) +f
表妹 (biǎomèi) -f
nephew 姪子 (zhízi) brother's son
外甥 (wàishēng) sister's son
niece 姪女 (zhínǚ) brother's daughter
外甥女 (wàishengnǚ) sister's daughter
grandfather 祖父 (zǔfù) pt-frm
爷爷 [爺爺] (yéye) pt-inf
外公 (wàigōng) mt-frm
公公 (gōnggōng) mt-inf
grandmother 祖母 (zǔmǔ) pt-frm
奶奶 (nǎinai) pt-inf
外婆 (wài pó) mt-frm
姥姥 (lǎolǎo) mt-inf
grandson 孙子 [孫子] (sūnzi) son's son
外孙子 [外孫子] (wàisūn) daughter's son
granddaughter 孙女 [孫女] (sūnnǚ) son's daughter
外孙女 [外孫女] (wàisūnnǚ) daughter's daughter
father-in-law 公公 (gōnggong) husband's father
岳父 (yuèfù) wife's father
mother-in-law 婆婆 (pópo) husband's mother
岳母 (yuèmǔ) wife's mother
brother-in-law 姐夫 (jiěfu) elder sister's husband
妹夫 (mèifu) younger sister's husband
大伯 (dàbó) husband's elder brother
小叔 (xiǎoshū) husband's younger brother
sister-in-law 嫂子 (sǎozi) elder brother's wife
弟妹 (dìmèi) younger brother's wife
大姨子 (dàyízi) wife's elder sister
小姨子 (xiǎoyízi) wife's younger sister
son-in-law 女婿 (nǚxu)
daughter-in-law 媳婦 [媳妇] (xífù)

Hear Chinese family words:

Links

Information about Chinese kinship terms
http://www.kwanfamily.info/culture/familytitles_table.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_kinship
http://www.chinese-tools.com/chinese/vocabulary/list/138/family.html
http://www.oakton.edu/user/4/billtong/chinaclass/chinesekin.htm

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Family words in Chinese / Sinitic languages

Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, Taiwanese

Family words in other languages

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