Family Members in Chinese 家人
jiārén
Family in Chinese is 家人 (jiā rén).
Also searched for as: family, mum and dad, family members, family tree.
Who's closest to you? 19 essential 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.
The basic word for family in Chinese is 家人 (jiā rén), and 家 (jiā) alone means both 'family' and 'home'. Chinese has separate words for older and younger siblings, so 'brother' is either 哥哥 (gē ge) or 弟弟 (dì di) depending on age. This list covers parents, siblings, children and spouses, including the everyday 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 老婆 (lǎo pó) that married couples use.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 家 | jiā | family; home |
| 家人 | jiā rén | family members |
| 爸爸 | bà ba | dad |
| 妈妈 | mā ma | mum |
| 父母 | fù mǔ | parents |
| 哥哥 | gē ge | older brother |
| 姐姐 | jiě jie | older sister |
| 弟弟 | dì di | younger brother |
| 妹妹 | mèi mei | younger sister |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōng dì jiě mèi | siblings |
| 儿子 | ér zi | son |
| 女儿 | nǚ ér | daughter |
| 丈夫 | zhàng fu | husband |
| 妻子 | qī zi | wife |
| 老公 | lǎo gōng | husband (informal) |
| 老婆 | lǎo pó | wife (informal) |
| 孩子 | hái zi | child |
| 独生子女 | dú shēng zǐ nǚ | only child |
| 家庭 | jiā tíng | family; household |
Usage tips
- 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 老婆 (lǎo pó) are what most people say day to day; 丈夫 (zhàng fu) and 妻子 (qī zi) sound more formal and appear more in writing.
- To ask about family size, say 你家有几口人？ (nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén), using the measure word 口 (kǒu); to ask about siblings, say 你有兄弟姐妹吗？ (nǐ yǒu xiōng dì jiě mèi ma).
- Because of the former one-child policy, many people in mainland China born from the 1980s onwards are 独生子女 (dú shēng zǐ nǚ), only children, so don't be surprised if the answer about siblings is no.
Common mistakes
- Looking for one word for 'brother' or 'sister': Chinese specifies age, so say 哥哥 (gē ge) for an older brother and 弟弟 (dì di) for a younger one, and likewise 姐姐 (jiě jie) and 妹妹 (mèi mei).
- Getting the tone wrong on 妈 (mā): 妈妈 (mā ma) with a first tone is 'mum', but 马 (mǎ) with a third tone is 'horse'.
Mini dialogue
- A你家有几口人？Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?How many people are there in your family?
- B四口人：爸爸、妈妈、姐姐和我。Sì kǒu rén: bà ba, mā ma, jiě jie hé wǒ.Four: my dad, my mum, my older sister and me.
- A你姐姐结婚了吗？Nǐ jiě jie jié hūn le ma?Is your sister married?
- B结婚了，她有一个女儿。你有兄弟姐妹吗？Jié hūn le, tā yǒu yī ge nǚ ér. Nǐ yǒu xiōng dì jiě mèi ma?Yes, she has a daughter. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
- A没有，我是独生子女。Méi yǒu, wǒ shì dú shēng zǐ nǚ.No, I'm an only child.
Example sentences
- 春节我回家看家人。I go home to see my family at Spring Festival.
- 我父母住在农村。My parents live in the countryside.
- 你有兄弟姐妹吗？Do you have any brothers or sisters?
- 我老公每天送孩子上学。My husband takes the kids to school every day.
- 他老婆是护士。His wife is a nurse.
- 他们有两个孩子。They have two children.
- 我是独生子女，没有兄弟姐妹。I'm an only child; I have no brothers or sisters.
- 她有一个幸福的家庭。She has a happy family.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Family speaking island has 8 everyday questions about family to prepare your own answers to.