堂表 · Cousin
Cousin in Chinese: eight words for one
English “cousin” is one word. Mandarin has eight: four 堂 cousins (your father's brothers' children) and four 表 cousins (everyone else), each marked for older/younger and male/female. It is the clearest example of how much the language packs into a single term.
The short answer
táng gē
older male 堂 cousin
Father's brother's son, older than you.
táng mèi
younger female 堂 cousin
Father's brother's daughter, younger than you.
biǎo gē
older male 表 cousin
Any non-堂 cousin, older male.
biǎo mèi
younger female 表 cousin
Any non-堂 cousin, younger female.
Which one should you use?
These are your 堂 cousins: you share a paternal grandfather, and usually a surname. Four words: 堂哥, 堂弟, 堂姐, 堂妹.
Your father's sisters' children and all your mother's siblings' children. Also four words: 表哥, 表弟, 表姐, 表妹.
All eight cousin words
Two lines (堂 / 表) × two ages (older / younger) × two genders (male / female).
| 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 |
堂 cousins share your paternal grandfather and usually your surname; 表 cousins do not. Neither word implies more or less closeness.
In a sentence
他是我堂哥。Tā shì wǒ tánggē.
He is my 堂 cousin — my father's brother's son, older than me.
我表哥在上海工作，表妹还在读高中。Wǒ biǎogē zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò, biǎomèi hái zài dú gāozhōng.
My older 表 cousin works in Shanghai; my younger 表 cousin is still in high school.
Common mistakes
- Calling your father's sister's son 堂哥. He is 表哥 — 姑姑's children are 表, even though she is on your father's side.
- Thinking 表 means “distant” or “less important”. It marks a different line, not a weaker relationship.
- Using 堂哥 for a cousin younger than you. The second character carries the age.
- Forgetting that the age is relative to you, not between the cousins.
The cultural bit
What the word carries
The 堂/表 split comes from the old patrilineal household: 堂 originally meant the hall of the family house, the people under the same roof and the same surname. 表 referred to the outer branch. Modern families often treat all cousins the same way, but the words still encode the old structure.
Questions
What is the difference between 堂 and 表?
堂 cousins are your father's brothers' children — same paternal grandfather, usually same surname. 表 covers your father's sisters' children and all your mother's siblings' children.
How do you say female cousin in Chinese?
It depends on side and age: 堂姐/堂妹 or 表姐/表妹. There is no single word for “female cousin”.
How do you say older cousin in Chinese?
堂哥/堂姐 for the 堂 line, 表哥/表姐 for the 表 line, depending on gender.
Do 堂 cousins always share a surname?
Traditionally yes, because they share the paternal grandfather. In practice, surnames vary, and the word is about the family line rather than the ID card.
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