侄甥 · Niece & nephew
Niece and Nephew in Chinese: 侄子 vs 外甥
Chinese does not stop at “niece” and “nephew”. Your brother's children and your sister's children take different words: 侄子/侄女 for your brother's, 外甥/外甥女 for your sister's. The 外 is the same marker you met in 外公 and 外婆.
The short answer
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.
wài shēng nǚ
niece (sister's daughter)
Your sister's daughter.
Which one should you use?
Your brother's son is 侄子; his daughter is 侄女. No 外 — they belong to the same paternal line as you.
Your sister's son is 外甥; her daughter is 外甥女. The 外 marks the sister's side.
The four niece and nephew words
Two pairs, split by whether the parent is your brother or your sister.
| 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 |
Some families use 侄子 loosely for both, but the standard distinction is brother's children vs sister's children.
In a sentence
我哥哥的儿子是我的侄子。Wǒ gēge de érzi shì wǒ de zhízi.
My older brother's son is my 侄子.
我姐姐的女儿是我的外甥女。Wǒ jiějie de nǚ'ér shì wǒ de wàishengnǚ.
My older sister's daughter is my 外甥女.
Common mistakes
- Calling your sister's son 侄子. He is 外甥 — the sister's side takes 外.
- Using 外甥 for your brother's son. The brother's children are 侄子/侄女.
- Forgetting the tones: 侄 zhí (2nd), 甥 shēng (1st).
The cultural bit
What the word carries
The 外 in 外甥 marks the sister's line in the old patrilineal system, just as it does in 外公 and 外孙. In everyday modern families the affection is the same; the word simply records which side of the family the child comes from.
Questions
What is the difference between 侄子 and 外甥?
侄子 is your brother's son (and 侄女 his daughter); 外甥 is your sister's son (and 外甥女 her daughter). The split is by the parent's gender, not the child's.
Why does 外甥 have 外?
It marks the sister's side of the family, the same “outer” prefix used in 外公, 外婆 and 外孙.
Is there a gender-neutral word for nieces and nephews?
Not a single everyday word. 侄甥 (zhíshēng) is used in formal or written contexts as a collective.
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