Family members in Chinese

English has one word for "uncle"; Chinese has at least four, depending on whose brother he is and whether he is older or younger. The tables below group the family words from closest to furthest, with an English column that says exactly who each person is.

Words marked ★ are taught in the Second Language Mandarin course.

Parents, siblings, and children

Chinese	Traditional	Pinyin	Who it is
爸爸	爸爸	bàba	dad
妈妈	媽媽	māma	mom
父亲	父親	fùqīn	father (formal)
母亲	母親	mǔqīn	mother (formal)
哥哥	哥哥	gēge	older brother
姐姐	姐姐	jiějie	older sister
弟弟	弟弟	dìdi	younger brother
妹妹	妹妹	mèimei	younger sister
儿子	兒子	érzi	son
女儿	女兒	nǚ'ér	daughter
丈夫	丈夫	zhàngfu	husband
妻子	妻子	qīzi	wife
老公	老公	lǎogōng	husband (informal)
老婆	老婆	lǎopo	wife (informal)

Grandparents and grandchildren

Chinese	Traditional	Pinyin	Who it is
爷爷	爺爺	yéye	grandfather: your father’s father
奶奶	奶奶	nǎinai	grandmother: your father’s mother
外公	外公	wàigōng	grandfather: your mother’s father (southern China, Taiwan)
外婆	外婆	wàipó	grandmother: your mother’s mother (southern China, Taiwan)
姥爷	姥爺	lǎoye	grandfather: your mother’s father (northern China)
姥姥	姥姥	lǎolao	grandmother: your mother’s mother (northern China)
孙子	孫子	sūnzi	grandson: your son’s son
外孙	外孫	wàisūn	grandson: your daughter’s son

Aunts, uncles, and cousins

Chinese	Traditional	Pinyin	Who it is
伯伯	伯伯	bóbo	uncle: your father’s older brother
叔叔	叔叔	shūshu	uncle: your father’s younger brother; also any man your parents’ age
姑姑	姑姑	gūgu	aunt: your father’s sister
舅舅	舅舅	jiùjiu	uncle: your mother’s brother
阿姨	阿姨	āyí	aunt: your mother’s sister; also any woman your parents’ age
姨妈	姨媽	yímā	aunt: your mother’s sister
堂哥	堂哥	tánggē	older male cousin: your father’s brother’s son
堂姐	堂姐	tángjiě	older female cousin: your father’s brother’s daughter
表哥	表哥	biǎogē	older male cousin: through your father’s sister or your mother’s side
表妹	表妹	biǎomèi	younger female cousin: through your father’s sister or your mother’s side

In-laws

Chinese	Traditional	Pinyin	Who it is
公公	公公	gōnggong	father-in-law: your husband’s father
婆婆	婆婆	pópo	mother-in-law: your husband’s mother
岳父	岳父	yuèfù	father-in-law: your wife’s father
岳母	岳母	yuèmǔ	mother-in-law: your wife’s mother
嫂子	嫂子	sǎozi	sister-in-law: your older brother’s wife
姐夫	姐夫	jiěfu	brother-in-law: your older sister’s husband

Why Chinese has so many family words

Chinese family words record three things English leaves out:

Older or younger. There is no word for just "brother": he is 哥哥 ★ (older) or 弟弟 ★ (younger). Sisters are 姐姐 ★ or 妹妹 ★.
Father’s side or mother’s side. Your father’s father is 爷爷; your mother’s father is 外公 or 姥爷. 外 (outside) marks many relatives on the mother’s side.
Through a man or through a woman. Cousins who share your family name (your father’s brother’s children) are 堂 cousins; all other cousins are 表 cousins.

This reflects a traditional family in which relatives on the father’s side shared a household and a family name.

Which words to learn first

Start with the immediate family: 爸爸 ★, 妈妈 ★, 哥哥 ★, 姐姐 ★, 弟弟 ★, 妹妹 ★, and 孩子 ★ (child). Then learn the four grandparents, because you will hear them in almost every family conversation. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws can wait until you need them.

The formal words 父亲 and 母亲 are for writing and speeches; at home everyone says 爸爸 and 妈妈.

Grandparents: north and south

Your father’s parents are 爷爷 and 奶奶 everywhere. For your mother’s parents, northern China says 姥爷 and 姥姥, while southern China and Taiwan say 外公 and 外婆. Families choose one pair; both are correct.

Family words for strangers

Chinese speakers use family words politely for people who are not related:

叔叔 (uncle) and 阿姨 (aunt): what children call adults their parents’ age, including neighbors and friends’ parents.
哥 and 姐: friendly ways to address a young man or woman a little older than you, for example a waiter or a shop assistant in casual settings.
爷爷 and 奶奶: what children call elderly strangers.

Calling a woman your own age 阿姨 can sound as if you think she is old; 小姐 or her name is safer.

Example sentences

Chinese	Pinyin	English
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.
我有一个哥哥和一个妹妹。	wǒ yǒu yí ge gēge hé yí ge mèimei.	I have an older brother and a younger sister.
这是我外婆。	zhè shì wǒ wàipó.	This is my grandmother (on my mother’s side).

Family members are counted with 口 (mouth) in the question about household size: 几口人. With a single relative, use 个: 一个哥哥. 家 ★ (family, home) and 几 ★ (how many) are course words.

Common mistakes

Saying "brother" without older or younger. Pick 哥哥 or 弟弟; 兄弟 means "brothers" as a group.
Using 爷爷 for your mother’s father. He is 外公 or 姥爷.
Calling every aunt 阿姨. For family, 阿姨 is your mother’s sister; your father’s sister is 姑姑.