Extended Family & Relatives in Chinese 亲戚
qīnqi
Relatives in Chinese is 亲戚 (qīn qi).
Also searched for as: relatives, grandma grandpa, aunt uncle, cousin.
Who else is in the family? 20 essential extended family words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese has a separate word for almost every relative, depending on which side of the family they're on and whether they're older or younger. The general word for relatives is 亲戚 (qīn qi), but grandparents split into 爷爷 (yé ye) on your dad's side and 外公 (wài gōng) on your mum's, and uncles into 叔叔 (shū shu), 伯伯 (bó bo) and 舅舅 (jiù jiu). It looks daunting, but the system follows clear patterns.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 亲戚 | qīn qi | relatives |
| 爷爷 | yé ye | grandad (dad's side) |
| 奶奶 | nǎi nai | grandma (dad's side) |
| 外公 | wài gōng | grandad (mum's side) |
| 外婆 | wài pó | grandma (mum's side) |
| 叔叔 | shū shu | uncle (dad's younger brother) |
| 伯伯 | bó bo | uncle (dad's older brother) |
| 阿姨 | ā yí | aunt; auntie |
| 舅舅 | jiù jiu | uncle (mum's brother) |
| 姑姑 | gū gu | aunt (dad's sister) |
| 表哥 | biǎo gē | older male cousin (different surname) |
| 堂哥 | táng gē | older male cousin (same surname) |
| 侄子 | zhí zi | nephew (brother's son) |
| 孙子 | sūn zi | grandson (son's son) |
| 孙女 | sūn nǚ | granddaughter (son's daughter) |
| 外孙 | wài sūn | grandson (daughter's son) |
| 婆婆 | pó po | mother-in-law (husband's mother) |
| 岳父 | yuè fù | father-in-law (wife's father) |
| 亲人 | qīn rén | family members; kin |
| 晚辈 | wǎn bèi | younger generation |
Usage tips
- 外 (wài), 'outside', marks relatives on your mother's side or through a daughter, as in 外婆 (wài pó) and 外孙 (wài sūn), reflecting the traditional idea that a married daughter joined her husband's family.
- 堂 (táng) cousins share your surname because they're the children of your father's brothers, while 表 (biǎo) cousins are all the rest, through your father's sisters or your mother's side.
- 外婆 (wài pó) and 外公 (wài gōng) are common in the south and in many overseas Chinese communities, while 姥姥 (lǎo lao) and 姥爷 (lǎo ye) are more usual in northern China.
Common mistakes
- Calling every uncle 叔叔 (shū shu): within the family, 叔叔 is your dad's younger brother, 伯伯 (bó bo) his older brother and 舅舅 (jiù jiu) your mum's brother, and getting it right matters to relatives.
- Assuming 阿姨 (ā yí) only means 'aunt': it's also the polite way to address any woman of your parents' generation, and it's used for a nanny or housekeeper too.
Mini dialogue
- A春节你去哪儿？Chūn jié nǐ qù nǎr?Where are you going for Spring Festival?
- B去外婆家。我所有的亲戚都会来。Qù wài pó jiā. Wǒ suǒ yǒu de qīn qi dōu huì lái.To my grandma's on my mum's side. All my relatives will be there.
- A人多吗？Rén duō ma?Will there be lots of people?
- B很多！舅舅、阿姨，还有表哥、表姐。Hěn duō! Jiù jiu, ā yí, hái yǒu biǎo gē, biǎo jiě.Loads! My uncle, my aunt and my cousins too.
- A真热闹！Zhēn rè nao!That sounds lively!
Example sentences
- 过年时家里来了很多亲戚。Lots of relatives came over at New Year.
- 叔叔是我爸爸的弟弟。My uncle is my dad's younger brother.
- 伯伯比我爸爸大三岁。My uncle is three years older than my dad.
- 阿姨给我买了一件毛衣。My aunt bought me a jumper.
- 我舅舅是我妈妈的哥哥。My uncle is my mum's older brother.
- 姑姑每年都来看我们。My aunt comes to see us every year.
- 我表哥在上海工作。My cousin works in Shanghai.
- 堂哥教我骑自行车。My cousin taught me to ride a bike.
- 我侄子今年上小学了。My nephew started primary school this year.
- 奶奶很爱她的孙子。Grandma loves her grandson very much.
- 爷爷每天送孙女上学。Grandad takes his granddaughter to school every day.
- 外婆在家照顾外孙。Grandma looks after her grandson at home.
- 我婆婆做的饺子很好吃。My mother-in-law makes delicious dumplings.
- 他岳父喜欢喝茶。His father-in-law likes drinking tea.
- 他很想念远方的亲人。He misses his family far away.
- 过年时晚辈要给长辈拜年。At New Year, the younger generation pay New Year visits to their elders.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Extended family speaking island has 8 everyday questions about extended family to prepare your own answers to.