Chinese Vocabulary for Family: Essential Words & Phrases

Building your Chinese vocabulary for family is one of the most rewarding steps in your language journey. Family is central to Chinese culture, and knowing how to talk about relatives will open doors to deeper conversations and cultural understanding. This comprehensive guide will help you learn Chinese family terms from immediate relatives to extended family members.

Essential Family Vocabulary

Let's start with the core Chinese words for family that every learner needs. Unlike English, Chinese has specific terms for paternal and maternal relatives, reflecting the importance of family lineage in Chinese culture.

Word	Pronunciation	English	Example
家庭	jiātíng	family	我的家庭很大。(Wǒ de jiātíng hěn dà.) - My family is big.
父母	fùmǔ	parents	我的父母住在北京。(Wǒ de fùmǔ zhù zài Běijīng.) - My parents live in Beijing.
爸爸	bàba	father/dad	爸爸今天很忙。(Bàba jīntiān hěn máng.) - Dad is very busy today.
妈妈	māma	mother/mom	妈妈做饭很好吃。(Māma zuòfàn hěn hǎochī.) - Mom's cooking is delicious.
哥哥	gēge	older brother	我哥哥比我高。(Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gāo.) - My older brother is taller than me.
姐姐	jiějie	older sister	姐姐在大学学习。(Jiějie zài dàxué xuéxí.) - My older sister studies at university.
弟弟	dìdi	younger brother	弟弟今年十岁。(Dìdi jīnnián shí suì.) - My younger brother is ten years old this year.
妹妹	mèimei	younger sister	妹妹喜欢唱歌。(Mèimei xǐhuan chànggē.) - My younger sister likes singing.
爷爷	yéye	paternal grandfather	爷爷喜欢下棋。(Yéye xǐhuan xiàqí.) - Grandpa likes playing chess.
奶奶	nǎinai	paternal grandmother	奶奶给我做了饺子。(Nǎinai gěi wǒ zuòle jiǎozi.) - Grandma made dumplings for me.
外公	wàigōng	maternal grandfather	外公住在乡下。(Wàigōng zhù zài xiāngxià.) - Maternal grandfather lives in the countryside.
外婆	wàipó	maternal grandmother	我很想念外婆。(Wǒ hěn xiǎngniàn wàipó.) - I miss my maternal grandmother very much.
丈夫	zhàngfu	husband	她的丈夫是医生。(Tā de zhàngfu shì yīshēng.) - Her husband is a doctor.
妻子	qīzi	wife	他的妻子是老师。(Tā de qīzi shì lǎoshī.) - His wife is a teacher.
儿子	érzi	son	他们有两个儿子。(Tāmen yǒu liǎng gè érzi.) - They have two sons.
女儿	nǚ'ér	daughter	女儿很聪明。(Nǚ'ér hěn cōngmíng.) - The daughter is very smart.
叔叔	shūshu	uncle (father's younger brother)	叔叔送给我一本书。(Shūshu sòng gěi wǒ yī běn shū.) - Uncle gave me a book.
阿姨	āyí	aunt (mother's sister)	阿姨住在上海。(Āyí zhù zài Shànghǎi.) - Auntie lives in Shanghai.
表弟	biǎodì	younger male cousin (maternal)	我和表弟一起玩。(Wǒ hé biǎodì yīqǐ wán.) - I play with my younger cousin.
堂姐	tángjiě	older female cousin (paternal)	堂姐下个月结婚。(Tángjiě xià gè yuè jiéhūn.) - My older cousin is getting married next month.

Common Phrases

This Chinese lesson on family wouldn't be complete without practical phrases you'll use in everyday conversations. Here are expressions that will help you discuss family matters naturally.

• 你家有几口人？ (Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?) - How many people are in your family?
• 我家有四口人。 (Wǒ jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén.) - There are four people in my family.
• 你有兄弟姐妹吗？ (Nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?) - Do you have any siblings?
• 我是独生子女。 (Wǒ shì dúshēng zǐnǚ.) - I am an only child.
• 我结婚了。 (Wǒ jiéhūn le.) - I am married.
• 他们是一家人。 (Tāmen shì yī jiā rén.) - They are one family.
• 全家福 (quánjiāfú) - family photo (literally "whole family blessing")
• 家和万事兴 (jiā hé wànshì xīng) - A harmonious family leads to prosperity (proverb)

Usage Notes

When you learn Chinese family vocabulary, understanding the cultural context is essential. Here are important notes that will help you use these words correctly.

• Paternal vs. Maternal Distinction: Chinese distinguishes between relatives on your father's side and mother's side. For example, 爷爷 (yéye) is specifically your father's father, while 外公 (wàigōng) is your mother's father. This reflects the traditional patrilineal family structure.
• Age Matters: Unlike English, which uses "brother" for any male sibling, Chinese requires you to specify if someone is older (哥哥 gēge) or younger (弟弟 dìdi). The same applies to sisters and cousins.
• Informal Terms: In casual speech, you might hear 老公 (lǎogōng) for husband and 老婆 (lǎopo) for wife. These are more intimate and commonly used between couples.
• Respectful Address: You can call unrelated older people 叔叔 (shūshu) or 阿姨 (āyí) as a sign of respect, similar to how "uncle" and "auntie" are used in some English-speaking cultures.
• Measure Word: When counting family members, use 口 (kǒu) as the measure word: 三口人 (sān kǒu rén) means "three family members."

Practice Sentences

Put your new Chinese vocabulary for family into practice with these example sentences. Try reading them aloud and creating your own variations.

• 我家有五口人：爸爸、妈妈、哥哥、妹妹和我。
  Wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén: bàba, māma, gēge, mèimei hé wǒ.
  There are five people in my family: dad, mom, older brother, younger sister, and me.
• 我的父母每天早上六点起床。
  Wǒ de fùmǔ měitiān zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng.
  My parents get up at six o'clock every morning.
• 姐姐和妹妹都喜欢看电影。
  Jiějie hé mèimei dōu xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng.
  Both my older and younger sisters like watching movies.
• 爷爷奶奶住在我们家附近。
  Yéye nǎinai zhù zài wǒmen jiā fùjìn.
  Grandpa and grandma live near our home.
• 我表弟今年开始上小学了。
  Wǒ biǎodì jīnnián kāishǐ shàng xiǎoxué le.
  My younger cousin started elementary school this year.
• 叔叔阿姨，你们好！
  Shūshu āyí, nǐmen hǎo!
  Hello, uncle and auntie!
• 他的妻子是我姐姐的同事。
  Tā de qīzi shì wǒ jiějie de tóngshì.
  His wife is my older sister's colleague.
• 我们全家周末一起去公园。
  Wǒmen quánjiā zhōumò yīqǐ qù gōngyuán.
  Our whole family goes to the park together on weekends.