Which side?
Your father's parents and your mother's parents are four different words, not two.
奶奶vs外婆
paternal vs maternal grandmother
亲属称谓 · Chinese kinship
Chinese family tree:
every relative, named
English has one word for grandmother, one for uncle, one for cousin. Chinese has two, five and eight — because every term tells you which side of the family, whether they are older or younger, and whose family you married into.
Chinese kinship is not a vocabulary list. It is a coordinate system: every term answers whose side, which generation, and older or younger.
This page is built as a map, not a list. Below: an interactive family tree, the eight words for “cousin”, the in-law terms that change with your gender, and all 73 terms in one reference. Every card is clickable.
01 — The map
Five generations, three lanes
Read it like a family tree laid flat: each row is a generation, each lane a side of the family. Click any card for the literal relationship, a usage note and an example sentence.
Tip: click 外婆 to see why she is not 奶奶.
G+2祖辈Grandparents
父系 · Paternal
母系 · Maternal
G+1父辈Parents & their siblings
父系 · Paternal
直系 · Your line
母系 · Maternal
G0同辈You, your siblings & cousins
堂 · Táng
直系 · Your line
表 · Biǎo
G−1子辈Children & niblings
兄弟的子女 · Brother's kids
直系 · Your line
姐妹的子女 · Sister's kids
G−2孙辈Grandchildren
孙辈 · Son's kids vs daughter's kids
父系 · father's side
母系 · mother's side
直系 · your direct line
Cards with a dashed edge are not dictionary terms — they are the reader, and the reader's spouse.
02 — The system
Four questions English doesn't ask
Learn the questions, not just the words. Once you can answer them, you can predict a term you have never seen — and understand why a dictionary translation so often misses.
Older or younger?
There is no neutral “brother”. The word itself states whether the person is older or younger than you.
哥哥vs弟弟
older vs younger brother
Inner or outer line?
Children of your son and children of your daughter split; so do your brother's and sister's children.
孙子vs外孙
son's son vs daughter's son
Married into whose family?
In-law terms are not symmetrical. Some depend on whether the speaker is the husband or the wife.
公公vs岳父
husband's father vs wife's father
Ten English words, 32 Chinese terms
These ten English words cover at least 32 distinct relationships in Mandarin. The table is the shortest summary of why this page exists.
| English | Mandarin terms | How many |
|---|---|---|
| grandmother | 奶奶 · 外婆 | 2 |
| grandfather | 爷爷 · 外公 | 2 |
| brother | 哥哥 · 弟弟 | 2 |
| sister | 姐姐 · 妹妹 | 2 |
| uncle | 伯伯 · 叔叔 · 舅舅 · 姑父 · 姨父 | 5 |
| aunt | 伯母 · 婶婶 · 姑姑 · 舅妈 · 姨妈 | 5 |
| cousin | 堂哥 · 堂弟 · 堂姐 · 堂妹 · 表哥 · 表弟 · 表姐 · 表妹 | 8 |
| nephew | 侄子 · 外甥 | 2 |
| niece | 侄女 · 外甥女 | 2 |
| grandson | 孙子 · 外孙 | 2 |
Plus the generic 阿姨 — used for your mother's sister, for any woman of your parents' generation, and for domestic helpers.
03 — Cousins
Eight words for “cousin”
This is the clearest example of the system at work. Two questions — 堂 or 表, older or younger — plus gender give eight words where English has one.
| Cousin type | Male · older | Male · younger | Female · older | Female · younger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 堂father's brother's children | 堂哥táng gē | 堂弟táng dì | 堂姐táng jiě | 堂妹táng mèi |
| 表everyone else's children | 表哥biǎo gē | 表弟biǎo dì | 表姐biǎo jiě | 表妹biǎo mèi |
堂 The same surname
堂 cousins are your father's brothers' children. You share a paternal grandfather — and, traditionally, the same surname. The word 堂 originally meant the hall of the family house: the people under the same roof.
表 Everyone else
表 covers your father's sisters' children and all of your mother's siblings' children. The character originally referred to the outer surface of a garment — the “outside” branch. It is not a demotion, just a different line.
The full guide covers all eight words with examples: Cousin in Chinese — eight words for one.
04 — Aunts & uncles
Five uncles, five aunts
English “uncle” covers four different men and two of them are split by age. Chinese gives each relative a precise address — and each spouse a matching term.
| Relative | Father's brother | Father's sister | Mother's brother | Mother's sister |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The relative | 伯伯 older 叔叔 younger |
姑姑 | 舅舅 | 姨妈 |
| Their spouse | 伯母 older 婶婶 younger |
姑父 | 舅妈 | 姨父 |
Ranked, not just named
If your father has three brothers, they are 大伯, 二伯 and 三叔 — the number comes from their birth order in the family, not from your relationship to them. The same pattern gives 大姨/小姨 and 大舅/二舅.
Terms that travel
叔叔 and 阿姨 are also the default polite words for unrelated adults of your parents' age. 爷爷 and 奶奶 work the same way for people of grandparent age. The kinship system doubles as a public etiquette system.
Go deeper: Uncle in Chinese — five words · Aunt in Chinese — five words.
05 — In-laws
The word depends on who you are
This is the part phrasebooks skip. Chinese in-law terms are not symmetrical: the same relationship gets a different word depending on whether you are the wife or the husband.
| In-law | A woman speaking her husband's parents |
A man speaking his wife's parents |
|---|---|---|
| Father-in-law | 公公gōng gong | 岳父yuè fù |
| Mother-in-law | 婆婆pó po | 岳母yuè mǔ |
| Spouse's sibling | Your husband's… a woman speaking |
Your wife's… a man speaking |
|---|---|---|
| Older brother | 大伯子 | 大舅子 |
| Younger brother | 小叔子 | 小舅子 |
| Older sister | 大姑子 | 大姨子 |
| Younger sister | 小姑子 | 小姨子 |
The other direction
Your child's spouse has their own pair of terms: 女婿 (daughter's husband) and 儿媳 (son's wife). Your siblings' spouses split by age: 嫂子 / 弟媳 for brothers' wives, 姐夫 / 妹夫 for sisters' husbands.
And the two families?
Once your child marries, the two sets of parents are 亲家 (qìng jia — not qīn jiā). It is a relationship word, not an address: you would not call the other father “亲家” to his face unless you are close.
Full guide: In-laws in Chinese — the words change with you.
06 — Reference
All 73 terms
The complete list of family members in Chinese — all 73 kinship terms, grouped by where they sit in the family. Pinyin is written syllable by syllable; the colour of each syllable is its tone. Click a term for the full entry.
1st · mā
2nd · má
3rd · mǎ
4th · mà
neutral · ma
祖辈Grandparents
Four words where English has two — and one prefix, 外, that changes everything.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yé ye | paternal grandfather | your father's father | Also 祖父 zǔfù in formal writing. If your father has brothers, they are ranked separately — 爷爷 is the grandfather, not an uncle. | |
| nǎi nai | paternal grandmother | your father's mother | Also 祖母 zǔmǔ. In Min- and Yue-speaking regions you will also hear 阿嬷 āmā or 阿婆 āpó. | |
| wài gōng | maternal grandfather | your mother's father | In northern China the everyday word is 姥爷 lǎoye. Formal: 外祖父 wàizǔfù. 外 marks the mother's side. | |
| wài pó | maternal grandmother | your mother's mother | In northern China: 姥姥 lǎolao. Formal: 外祖母 wàizǔmǔ. | |
| zēng zǔ fù | great-grandfather | your grandfather's father | For the mother's side, add 外: 外曾祖父. Most families simply say 太爷爷 in speech. | |
| zēng zǔ mǔ | great-grandmother | your grandfather's mother | Also 太奶奶 in everyday northern speech. |
父母Parents
The pair every learner meets first — with a formal and a spoken register.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bà ba | dad, father | your father | 父亲 fùqīn in writing or formal speech; 爸 bà is the short form. 老爸 is affectionate, a little playful. | |
| mā ma | mom, mother | your mother | 母亲 mǔqīn formal; 妈 mā short. 老妈 is affectionate, a little playful. | |
| fù mǔ | parents | your father and mother together | Collective and slightly formal. In speech people say 爸妈 bà mā. |
兄弟姐妹Siblings
Age is built into the word: there is no neutral word for “brother” or “sister”.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gē ge | older brother | a brother older than you | Using 哥哥 for someone younger is a real, if small, misstep: the word is a claim about relative age. | |
| dì di | younger brother | a brother younger than you | ||
| jiě jie | older sister | a sister older than you | ||
| mèi mei | younger sister | a sister younger than you | ||
| xiōng dì jiě mèi | siblings | your brothers and sisters collectively | 兄弟 alone means “brothers”; 姐妹 alone means “sisters”. 兄弟 is also used loosely between male friends. |
自己的家Your own household
Spouse and children — the terms you will use about your own home.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zhàng fu | husband | your husband | 老公 lǎogōng is the everyday word; 先生 xiānsheng can also mean “husband” in older usage, but usually means “Mr.”. | |
| qī zi | wife | your wife | 老婆 lǎopo everyday; 太太 tàitai a little more formal or old-fashioned. | |
| ér zi | son | your son | ||
| nǚ ér | daughter | your daughter | ||
| hái zi | child, children | your child or children | 小孩 xiǎohái is “kid”. 独生子女 dúshēngzǐnǚ is the term for an only child. |
孙辈Grandchildren
A son's children and a daughter's children take different words — the old 内/外 split.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sūn zi | grandson (son's son) | your son's son | Traditionally the “inner” grandson. Your daughter's son is 外孙 — see below. | |
| sūn nǚ | granddaughter (son's daughter) | your son's daughter | ||
| wài sūn | grandson (daughter's son) | your daughter's son | 外 marks the daughter's side. Many families now use 孙子 for both; follow the family. | |
| wài sūn nǚ | granddaughter (daughter's daughter) | your daughter's daughter |
父系：伯叔姑Father's brothers and sister
One uncle for older, one for younger — plus the aunt whose children are 表, not 堂.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bó bo | father's older brother | your father's older brother | Also 伯父 bófù. With several, they are ranked: 大伯, 二伯, 三伯. | |
| bó mǔ | wife of father's older brother | your 伯伯's wife | In the north, 大妈 dàmā. Not to be confused with 伯母 as a polite word for a friend's mother. | |
| shū shu | father's younger brother | your father's younger brother | Also 叔父 shūfù; ranked 二叔, 三叔. 叔叔 is also a polite address for any man of your father's generation. | |
| shěn shen | wife of father's younger brother | your 叔叔's wife | Also 婶母 shěnmǔ. | |
| gū gu | father's sister | your father's sister | Also 姑妈 gūmā or 姑母 gūmǔ. Her children are your 表 cousins — not 堂. | |
| gū fu | husband of father's sister | your 姑姑's husband | Sometimes written 姑夫. |
母系：舅姨Mother's brother and sisters
Your mother's siblings — and the auntie word you will also use for strangers.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jiù jiu | mother's brother | your mother's brother | Also 舅父 jiùfù; ranked 大舅, 二舅. In some families 舅舅 is the uncle who spoils you. | |
| jiù mā | wife of mother's brother | your 舅舅's wife | Also 舅母 jiùmǔ. | |
| yí mā | mother's sister | your mother's sister | Older sister of your mother: 大姨; younger: 小姨. 姨母 yímǔ is formal. | |
| yí fu | husband of mother's sister | your 姨妈's husband | Sometimes written 姨夫. | |
| ā yí | auntie | your mother's sister — or any woman of her generation | Also the default polite address for unrelated women of your parents' age, and a job title for domestic helpers. Context decides. |
堂表Cousins
Eight terms for one English word: side, age and gender all matter.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| táng gē | older male 堂 cousin | your father's brother's son, older than you | 堂 cousins share your paternal grandfather — and usually your surname. | |
| táng dì | younger male 堂 cousin | your father's brother's son, younger than you | ||
| táng jiě | older female 堂 cousin | your father's brother's daughter, older than you | ||
| táng mèi | younger female 堂 cousin | your father's brother's daughter, younger than you | ||
| biǎo gē | older male 表 cousin | any cousin who is not a 堂 cousin, older than you | Includes your father's sister's children and all your mother's siblings' children. | |
| biǎo dì | younger male 表 cousin | any non-堂 cousin, younger than you | ||
| biǎo jiě | older female 表 cousin | any non-堂 cousin, older than you | ||
| biǎo mèi | younger female 表 cousin | any non-堂 cousin, younger than you |
侄甥Nieces and nephews
Your brother's children and your sister's children are not the same word.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| zhí zi | nephew (brother's son) | your brother's son | ||
| zhí nǚ | niece (brother's daughter) | your brother's daughter | ||
| wài shēng | nephew (sister's son) | your sister's son | Again 外: the sister's side. Some families use 侄子 loosely for both. | |
| wài shēng nǚ | niece (sister's daughter) | your sister's daughter |
姻亲In-laws
The terms change with your gender: a woman marries into 公公/婆婆, a man into 岳父/岳母.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gōng gong | father-in-law (husband's father) | your husband's father — a woman speaking | A man never uses 公公 for his wife's father; that is 岳父. | |
| pó po | mother-in-law (husband's mother) | your husband's mother — a woman speaking | Do not confuse with 外婆 (maternal grandmother), which sounds similar to some learners. | |
| yuè fù | father-in-law (wife's father) | your wife's father — a man speaking | Colloquial: 老丈人 lǎozhàngren. | |
| yuè mǔ | mother-in-law (wife's mother) | your wife's mother — a man speaking | Colloquial: 丈母娘 zhàngmǔniáng. | |
| nǚ xù | son-in-law | your daughter's husband | From the parents' point of view. The daughter's husband is also 半个儿 (“half a son”) in a common saying. | |
| ér xí | daughter-in-law | your son's wife | Also 儿媳妇 ér xífu. | |
| sǎo zi | older brother's wife | your older brother's wife | ||
| dì xí | younger brother's wife | your younger brother's wife | Also 弟妹 dìmèi — which is also how you address a friend's younger sister. | |
| jiě fu | older sister's husband | your older sister's husband | ||
| mèi fu | younger sister's husband | your younger sister's husband | ||
| dà bǎi zi | husband's older brother | your husband's older brother — a woman speaking | ||
| xiǎo shū zi | husband's younger brother | your husband's younger brother — a woman speaking | ||
| dà gū zi | husband's older sister | your husband's older sister — a woman speaking | ||
| xiǎo gū zi | husband's younger sister | your husband's younger sister — a woman speaking | ||
| dà jiù zi | wife's older brother | your wife's older brother — a man speaking | ||
| xiǎo jiù zi | wife's younger brother | your wife's younger brother — a man speaking | ||
| dà yí zi | wife's older sister | your wife's older sister — a man speaking | ||
| xiǎo yí zi | wife's younger sister | your wife's younger sister — a man speaking | ||
| qìng jia | child's in-laws | the parents of your child's spouse | Pronounced qìng jia, not qīn jiā. The two families call each other 亲家. |
统称Collective words
The words for “family” itself, and for the generations above and below you.
| Term | Pinyin | English | Who exactly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| jiā rén | family members | the people in your family | Warmer and more personal than 家庭. | |
| jiā tíng | family (household) | the family as a unit | Used in formal or statistical contexts: 家庭关系, 家庭主妇. | |
| qīn qi | relatives | relatives beyond your immediate family, including in-laws | Covers everyone from 姑姑 to 表妹 to 亲家. | |
| zhǎng bèi | elders | the older generations in your family | ||
| wǎn bèi | juniors | the younger generations in your family | ||
| píng bèi | same generation | people of your own generation | ||
| zǔ xiān | ancestors | your forebears — the generations before you | ||
| hòu dài | descendants | the generations after you |
07 — Regional variation
姥姥 or 外婆?
Standard Mandarin is not the whole story. The most visible split is the maternal grandparents: the north says 姥姥/姥爷, most of the south and nearly all writing says 外婆/外公.
| Concept | Northern speech | Standard / southern | Formal writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal grandmother | 姥姥 lǎolao | 外婆 wàipó | 外祖母 |
| Maternal grandfather | 姥爷 lǎoye | 外公 wàigōng | 外祖父 |
| Father's sister | 姑妈 gūmā | 姑姑 gūgu | 姑母 |
| Wife's mother | 丈母娘 zhàngmǔniáng | 岳母 yuèmǔ | 岳母 |
In Min- and Yue-speaking regions you will also hear 阿嬷 (ā-mā) and 阿婆 (ā-pó) for grandmother; in parts of the Wu-speaking area, 阿娘. Regional forms are not “wrong Mandarin” — they are the family's actual language. If you are meeting someone's relatives, ask which word the family uses before you use one.
There is also a generation gap. Younger urban families are more likely to use 爷爷奶奶 for both sides, or to mix 姥姥 with 外婆 depending on which grandparent is present. The system in this page is the standard one; real families negotiate it.
More on the split: Grandmother in Chinese · Grandfather in Chinese.
08 — Culture
What the words assume
Kinship terms are a compressed description of how a family is organised. Six things the vocabulary quietly assumes.
长幼有序 · Age is order
Chinese kinship encodes birth order because it organises obligation: who bows first, who is addressed with which term, who is expected to look after whom. Calling someone 哥哥 is a small claim about seniority, not just a label.
内外有别 · Inner and outer
The prefix 外 (outer) marks the mother's side: 外公, 外婆, 外孙, 外甥. It comes from a patrilineal system in which the father's line carried the surname and the ancestral hall. It does not mean “less loved” — but it does record a structure.
称呼 · Address vs reference
You call your father's younger brother 叔叔, but when explaining him to a friend you might say 我爸爸的弟弟. Some words exist only for reference, not address — the formal 家父 (“my father”) or 令尊 (“your father”) belong in letters, not at the dinner table.
排行 · Numbers in the name
Families rank siblings: 二叔, 三姨, 大哥, 小妹. The number travels with the term and tells you where someone sits in the family, not how old they are in absolute terms.
家谱 · The written line
Traditional genealogy books recorded generations and often assigned a generation character (辈分字) to every name in the same generation — which is why cousins can share the middle character of their given names.
What is changing
Smaller families, migration and intermarriage have thinned some distinctions. 堂 and 表 are still taught, but casual speech sometimes blurs them; 外 is increasingly dropped by young parents. Precision is appreciated; flexibility is normal.
09 — Say it
Introduce your family in Chinese
A short exchange that uses the whole system: two grandmothers, one sibling, and the difference between 爷爷/奶奶 and 外婆 in the same answer.
A
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are in your family?
B
六口人。爸爸、妈妈、爷爷、奶奶，还有一个妹妹。
Liù kǒu rén. Bàba, māma, yéye, nǎinai, hái yǒu yī gè mèimei.
Six. Dad, mom, my paternal grandpa and grandma, and a younger sister.
A
你外婆呢？
Nǐ wàipó ne?
And your maternal grandmother?
B
外婆住在杭州，我们过年去看她。
Wàipó zhù zài Hángzhōu, wǒmen guònián qù kàn tā.
She lives in Hangzhou — we visit her at New Year.
这是我外婆，她今年七十八岁。
Zhè shì wǒ wàipó, tā jīnnián qīshíbā suì.
This is my maternal grandmother — she is seventy-eight this year.
他是我爸爸的弟弟，我叫他叔叔。
Tā shì wǒ bàba de dìdi, wǒ jiào tā shūshu.
He is my father's younger brother — I call him 叔叔.
她是我姑姑的女儿，也就是我表姐。
Tā shì wǒ gūgu de nǚ'ér, yě jiùshì wǒ biǎojiě.
She is my father's sister's daughter — my 表姐.
10 — Questions
What learners ask most
What is “family tree” in Chinese?
家谱 (jiāpǔ) is the traditional written genealogy — a clan's record of names and generations, sometimes kept for centuries. For a diagram of who is who, people say 家庭关系图 (jiātíng guānxì tú) or 亲属关系图 (qīnshǔ guānxì tú). The word 家谱 carries more weight than “chart”: many families had one, and generation names (辈分) were often fixed in advance.
Why does Chinese have different words for each grandmother?
Because the language records which side of the family a person belongs to. 奶奶 is your father's mother; 外婆 — or 姥姥 in the north — is your mother's mother. The same logic gives 爷爷/外公 for grandfathers, 孙子/外孙 for grandsons, and 侄子/外甥 for nephews. English leaves the side unspecified; Chinese makes you choose.
What is the difference between 堂 and 表 cousins?
堂 cousins are your father's brothers' children: you share a paternal grandfather, and usually a surname. Everyone else is 表 — your father's sisters' children and all your mother's siblings' children. So one English “cousin” maps to eight Chinese words, four 堂 and four 表, each also marked for older/younger and male/female.
Do Chinese people call their in-laws 爸爸 and 妈妈?
Often, yes. After marriage many people address their spouse's parents as 爸/妈 in everyday family settings, while using 公公/婆婆 or 岳父/岳母 when referring to them to other people. The reference terms depend on the speaker's gender: a woman says 公公/婆婆, a man says 岳父/岳母.
Is 外公 / 外婆 rude?
No. 外 literally means “outside” and marks the mother's side in a traditionally patrilineal system; it is not an insult, and these are standard, affectionate everyday words across most of southern and central China. Some families today prefer 爷爷奶奶 for both sets of grandparents, and northern families use 姥姥/姥爷. Follow the family's own usage.
How many Chinese kinship terms are there?
The classical dictionary 尔雅 (Ěryǎ) devotes a whole chapter to kinship and lists dozens; historical systems with ranked siblings, concubines and multi-generation households produced hundreds. For modern Mandarin, about 50–70 terms cover everyday family life — this page lists 73. You do not need all of them at once: start with your own family.
How do I address older strangers?
Borrow a kinship term as a politeness marker: 爷爷/奶奶 for people of grandparent age, 叔叔/阿姨 for your parents' generation, 大哥/大姐 among peers. 师傅 (shīfu) works for workers and drivers; 先生/女士 is the neutral formal option.
Guides
Go deeper on one relative
Nine focused guides, each built around the question a dictionary page never answers: which word is the right one, and why.
奶奶 / 外婆
Grandmother
Two words, two sides of the family.
Read the guide 爷爷 / 外公Grandfather
The same split, one generation up.
Read the guide 姐姐 / 妹妹Sister
Older or younger — the word says which.
Read the guide 哥哥 / 弟弟Brother
There is no neutral word for brother.
Read the guide 伯伯 / 舅舅Uncle
Five men English calls “uncle”.
Read the guide 姑姑 / 姨妈Aunt
Five aunts, split by side and marriage.
Read the guide 堂哥 / 表妹Cousin
Eight words for one English cousin.
Read the guide 公公 / 岳父In-laws
The word depends on who you are.
Read the guide 侄子 / 外甥Niece & nephew
Your brother's kids and your sister's kids.
Read the guide