👨👩👧👦 Chinese Family & People Vocabulary
The Chinese family vocabulary system is famously precise — there are different words for older vs. younger siblings, paternal vs. maternal relatives, and an elaborate system of kinship terms that encode relationship information English just doesn't have words for.
Why Chinese Kinship Is the Way It Is
Kinship terms are a system, not a list
Every Chinese kinship term encodes three pieces of information: the person's generation relative to you, their gender, and whether they're on your father's or mother's side. There's no generic 'uncle' or 'aunt' — the specific term tells you exactly how someone is related to you. Chinese kids learn these terms alongside basic vocabulary because the kinship system matters in daily life. Calling your maternal uncle 叔叔 (which is the paternal term) is a genuine social mistake that people will notice.
Age hierarchy in addressing strangers
Chinese speakers use family terms to address unrelated people based on apparent age. A woman slightly older than you is 姐姐 (jiějie, older sister), regardless of whether you're related. An older man is 叔叔 or 伯伯. A child might call any adult woman 阿姨 (āyí, aunt). This isn't being overly familiar — it's the standard polite way to address people whose names you don't know. Using 你 (nǐ, you) directly with strangers, especially older ones, can feel too direct.
Immediate Family
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爸爸 | bàba | dad | — |
| 妈妈 | māma | mom | — |
| 儿子 | érzi | son | — |
| 女儿 | nǚ'ér | daughter | — |
| 哥哥 | gēge | older brother | Never just 'brother.' Age relative to the speaker is baked into the word. If you don't know whether someone is older or younger, you have to ask. |
| 弟弟 | dìdi | younger brother | — |
| 姐姐 | jiějie | older sister | — |
| 妹妹 | mèimei | younger sister | — |
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | husband | 老公 (lǎogōng) is the casual term used in daily life. 丈夫 is formal. |
| 妻子 | qīzi | wife | 老婆 (lǎopó) is what people actually say. 妻子 is for forms and formal writing. |
Grandparents — Paternal vs. Maternal
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爷爷 | yéye | paternal grandfather (dad's dad) | — |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | paternal grandmother (dad's mom) | — |
| 外公 | wàigōng | maternal grandfather (mom's dad) | The 外 (wài, 'outside') prefix reflects traditional patrilineal thinking — the mother's side was considered the 'outside' family. This is changing but the terminology hasn't. |
| 外婆 | wàipó | maternal grandmother (mom's mom) | — |
Aunts, Uncles & Extended Family
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 叔叔 | shūshu | uncle (dad's younger brother) | Only refers to dad's younger brother. Dad's older brother is 伯伯 (bóbo). Mom's brothers are 舅舅 (jiùjiu). Three different words, all 'uncle.' |
| 阿姨 | āyí | aunt (mom's sister); also a polite term for any woman of your parents' generation | — |
| 表弟 | biǎodì | younger male cousin (mom's side or dad's sisters' children) | Chinese distinguishes paternal vs. maternal cousins AND older vs. younger. 表弟, 表哥, 表姐, 表妹 cover the 'outer' cousins. 堂弟, 堂哥 etc. are 'inner' cousins (dad's brothers' children). |
| 孩子 | háizi | child; kid | — |
| 孙子 | sūnzi | grandson (son's son) | — |
Describing People
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 高 | gāo | tall; high | — |
| 漂亮 | piàoliang | pretty; beautiful (usually for women) | 帅 (shuài, handsome) is the male equivalent. 可爱 (kě'ài, cute) works for everyone. |
| 年轻 | niánqīng | young | — |
| 老 | lǎo | old | — |
| 聪明 | cōngmíng | smart; intelligent | — |
| 友好 | yǒuhǎo | friendly | — |
| 有趣 | yǒuqù | interesting; fun (personality) | — |
Social Relationships
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | — |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; coworker | — |
| 同学 | tóngxué | classmate | — |
| 邻居 | línjū | neighbor | — |
| 男朋友 | nán péngyou | boyfriend | — |
| 女朋友 | nǚ péngyou | girlfriend | — |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss | Used for any business owner or manager — not just your direct supervisor. Calling a restaurant owner 老板 is a small politeness that costs nothing. |
These words appear across HSK 1–4. Practice them by level at HSK Vocabulary or drill them with Flashcards.