Words for family members and other relatives in Taiwanese, a variety of Min Nan Chinese spoken mainly in Taiwan
Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, m = male, f = female, + = elder, - = younger, pt-= paternal, mt-= maternal
| Taiwanese (臺語 / Tâi-gí) | |
|---|---|
| family | 家庭 (ka-têng) |
| relative | 親戚 (chhin-chhek) |
| parents | 父母 (hū-bó) |
| father | 父親 (hū-chhin) frm 爸 (pâ) inf 阿爸 (ā-pah) inf |
| mother | 母親 (bó-chhin) frm 媽媽 (ma-ma) inf 阿母 (a-bó) inf 俺娘 (án-niâ) |
| children | 囡仔 (gín-á) 囝仔 (kín-á) |
| son | 囝兒 (kiáⁿ-lî) |
| daughter | 女兒 (lí-jî) |
| spouse | 匹偶 (phit-ngó͘) |
| husband | 先生 (sin-seⁿ) 丈人 (tiūⁿ-lâng) 翁 (ang) |
| wife | 某 (bó) 牽手 (khan-chhiú) 煮飯仔 (chí-pn̄g-á) |
| siblings | 共腹內 (kāng-pak-lāi) 至腹個 (chì-pak-ê) |
| brother | 阿兄 (a-hiaⁿ) + 小弟 (sió-tī) - |
| sister | 姊 (chí) + 小妹 (sió-mōai) - |
| uncle | 阿伯 (a-peh) father's elder brother 阿叔 (ah-chek) father's younger brother 姑丈 (ko͘-tiūⁿ) father's sister's husband 阿舅 (a-kū) mother's brother 姨丈 (î-tiūⁿ) mother's sister's husband |
| aunt | 阿姑 (a-ko) father's sister 阿嬸 (a-chím) father's brother's wife 姨母 (î-bó) mother's sister 阿妗 (a-kīm) mother's brother's wife |
| cousin (paternal) | 叔伯兄 (chek-peh-hiaⁿ) +m 堂弟 (tông-sió-tī) -m 堂姐 (tông-chí) +f 堂妹 (tông-sió-mōai) -f |
| cousin (maternal) | 表兄 (piáu-hiaⁿ) +m 表弟 (piáu-sió-tī) -m 表姐 (piáu-chí) +f 表妹 (piáu-sió-mōai) -f |
| nephew | 姪仔 (ti̍t-á) brother's son 外甥 (gōe-seng) sister's son |
| niece | 姪女 (ti̍t-lí/lú) brother's daughter 外甥女 (gōe-seng-lí/lú) sister's daughter |
| grandfather | 祖父 (chó͘-hū) pt-frm 爺 (iâ) pt-inf 外公 (gōa-kong) mt-frm 俺公 (án-kong) mt-inf |
| grandmother | 祖母 (chó͘-bó/bú) pt-frm 阿媽 (a-má) pt-inf 外媽 (gōa-má) mt-frm 俺媽 (án-má) mt-inf |
| grandson | 孫子 (sun-á) son's son 外孫 (gōa-sun) daughter's son |
| granddaughter | 孫女 (sun-lú/lí) son's daughter 外孫女 (gōa-sun-lú) daughter's daughter |
| father-in-law | 大官 (ta-koaⁿ) husband's father 岳父 (ga̍k-hū) wife's father |
| mother-in-law | 大家 (ta-ke) husband's mother 岳母 (ga̍k-bó/bú) wife's mother |
| brother-in-law | 姊夫 (ché-hu) elder sister's husband 妹婿 (mōe-sài) younger sister's husband 阿伯 (a-peh) husband's elder brother 小叔 (sió-chek) husband's younger brother |
| sister-in-law | 兄嫂人 (hiaⁿ-só-lâng) elder brother's wife 細嬸 (sió-chím) younger brother's wife 某大姨 (bó͘-tōa-î) wife's elder sister 姨仔 (î-á) wife's younger sister |
| son-in-law | 女婿 (lí-sài) |
| daughter-in-law | 囝新婦 (kiáⁿ-sin-pū) |
Information about Chinese kinship terms
http://www.expatintaiwan.net/family-names/
Information about Taiwanese | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Time expressions | Tower of Babel | Books about Taiwanese on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]
Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, Taiwanese
Family words in other languages
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