Family plays an important role in every culture, and it is a topic you will certainly cover when learning any new language. As you might guess, there are many terms used to describe relationships in a Chinese family, which can be quite confusing because terms differ depending on the side of the family. So how do you refer to your family members in Chinese, and how can you introduce them to others? Let’s find out! First, we need to learn what to call each family member.
| Grandparents’ Generation |
| Relationship |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
Recording |
| Father’s father |
爷爷 |
yéye |
|
| Father’s mother |
奶奶 |
nǎinai |
|
| Mother’s father |
外公 |
wàigōng |
|
| Mother’s mother |
外婆 |
wàipó |
|
| Parents’ Generation |
| Relationship |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
Recording |
| Father |
爸爸 |
bàba |
|
| Father’s elder brother |
伯伯 |
bóbo |
|
| Father’s younger brother |
叔叔 |
shūshu |
|
| Father’s (elder/younger) sister |
姑姑 |
gūgu |
|
| Mother |
妈妈 |
māma |
|
| Mother’s (elder/younger) brother |
舅舅 |
jiùjiu |
|
| Mother’s (elder/younger) sister |
姨妈 |
yímā |
|
| Your Generation |
| Relationship |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
Recording |
| Elder brother |
哥哥 |
gēge |
|
| Younger brother |
弟弟 |
dìdi |
|
| Elder sister |
姐姐 |
jiějie |
|
| Younger sister |
妹妹 |
mèimei |
|
| Children’s Generation |
| Relationship |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
Recording |
| Son |
儿子 |
érzi |
|
| Son’s wife |
媳妇 |
xífù |
|
| Daughter |
女儿 |
nǚ’ér |
|
| Daughter’s husband |
女婿 |
nǚxù |
|
| Grandchildren’s Generation |
| Relationship |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
Recording |
| Grandson |
孙子 |
sūnzi |
|
| Grandson’s wife |
孙媳妇 |
sūnxífù |
|
| Granddaughter |
孙女 |
sūnnǚ |
|
| Granddaughter’s husband |
孙女婿 |
sūnnǚxù |
|
(Learn how to call your family members in Chinese through: The Family Song家族歌(jiāzú gē))
The next step is to learn how to use the words we have just learned in the following simple sentence structures:
Zhè shì wǒ(de) ….
1. 这 是 我(的) ……。
This is my ….
Tā/tā shì wǒ(de) ….
2. 他/她 是 我(的) ……。
He/She is my ….
Wǒ yǒu … gè ….
3. 我 有 …… 个 ……。
I have ……. Wǒ(de) … shì ….
Wǒ(de) … shì ….
4. 我(的) …… 是 ……。
My … is a ….
Examples:
Zhè shì wǒde māma.
这 是 我的 妈妈。
This is my mom.
Tā shì wǒde gēge.
他 是 我的 哥哥。
He is my elder brother.
Wǒ yǒu liǎnggè nǚ’ér.
我 有 两个 女儿。
I have two daughters.
Wǒ érzi shì yīsheng.
我 儿子 是 医生。
My son is a doctor.
Quiz:
1. What should you call your father’s sister in Chinese?
A. “姑姑(gūgu)”
B. “奶奶(nǎinai)”
C. “媳妇(xífù)”
2. If you want to tell others you have a younger brother in Chinese, you should say _____.
A. “他是我的弟弟。(Tā shì wǒde dìdi.)”
B. “这是我的弟弟。(Zhè shì wǒde dìdi.)”
C. “我有一个弟弟。(Wǒ yǒu yígè dìdi.)”
See Answer Analysis
