Chinese family words are wonderfully specific. English says “uncle” and calls it a day. Chinese politely asks, “Dad’s side or mom’s side? Older or younger?” So yes, the vocabulary gets detailed fast, but that detail also makes your meaning much clearer.

In this guide, you will learn the most useful family words first, then build out to cousins, in-laws, and modern family terms. Every key word includes simplified Chinese, pinyin, meaning, and a real example sentence so you can actually use it.

Core Family Words You’ll Use First

Useful Family Phrases For Real Life

• 这是我妈妈。 (Zhè shì wǒ māma.) — This is my mom.
• 那是我哥哥。 (Nà shì wǒ gēge.) — That is my older brother.
• 我有一个姐姐。 (Wǒ yǒu yí gè jiějie.) — I have an older sister.
• 你家有几口人？ (Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?) — How many people are in your family?
• 我跟父母住在一起。 (Wǒ gēn fùmǔ zhù zài yìqǐ.) — I live with my parents.
• 他是独生子女。 (Tā shì dúshēng zǐnǚ.) — He is an only child.
• 我们下周去看爷爷奶奶。 (Wǒmen xià zhōu qù kàn yéye nǎinai.) — We are going to visit grandpa and grandma next week.
• 她是我表姐。 (Tā shì wǒ biǎojiě.) — She is my older female cousin.
• 他不是我叔叔，他是我舅舅。 (Tā bú shì wǒ shūshu, tā shì wǒ jiùjiu.) — He is not my dad’s younger brother; he is my mom’s brother.
• 我老公是北京人。 (Wǒ lǎogōng shì Běijīngrén.) — My husband is from Beijing.
• 我老婆喜欢跟家人一起吃饭。 (Wǒ lǎopo xǐhuan gēn jiārén yìqǐ chīfàn.) — My wife likes eating with family.
• 她跟公公婆婆住在一起。 (Tā gēn gōnggong pópo zhù zài yìqǐ.) — She lives with her parents-in-law.

Parents, Kids, And Basic Family Words

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
爸爸	bàba	dad	我爸爸每天很早起床。	Wǒ bàba měitiān hěn zǎo qǐchuáng.	My dad gets up early every day.
妈妈	māma	mom	我妈妈会做北京烤鸭。	Wǒ māma huì zuò Běijīng kǎoyā.	My mom can make Peking duck.
父母	fùmǔ	parents	我的父母都很幽默。	Wǒ de fùmǔ dōu hěn yōumò.	My parents are both funny.
儿子	érzi	son	她儿子今年上小学。	Tā érzi jīnnián shàng xiǎoxué.	Her son started elementary school this year.
女儿	nǚ’ér	daughter	我女儿喜欢画猫。	Wǒ nǚ’ér xǐhuan huà māo.	My daughter likes drawing cats.
孩子	háizi	child; kid	那个孩子很有礼貌。	Nàge háizi hěn yǒu lǐmào.	That child is very polite.
家人	jiārén	family; family members	周末我想跟家人吃饭。	Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng gēn jiārén chīfàn.	I want to eat with my family this weekend.
家庭	jiātíng	family; household	她来自一个大家庭。	Tā láizì yí gè dà jiātíng.	She comes from a big family.
亲戚	qīnqi	relatives	过年时很多亲戚来我家。	Guònián shí hěn duō qīnqi lái wǒ jiā.	A lot of relatives come to my home during New Year.
家庭成员	jiātíng chéngyuán	family member	每个家庭成员都要帮忙。	Měi gè jiātíng chéngyuán dōu yào bāngmáng.	Every family member has to help out.

Siblings And Close Family

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
哥哥	gēge	older brother	我哥哥在深圳工作。	Wǒ gēge zài Shēnzhèn gōngzuò.	My older brother works in Shenzhen.
弟弟	dìdi	younger brother	我弟弟还在上高中。	Wǒ dìdi hái zài shàng gāozhōng.	My younger brother is still in high school.
姐姐	jiějie	older sister	我姐姐会说一点日语。	Wǒ jiějie huì shuō yìdiǎn Rìyǔ.	My older sister can speak a little Japanese.
妹妹	mèimei	younger sister	我妹妹喜欢听流行音乐。	Wǒ mèimei xǐhuan tīng liúxíng yīnyuè.	My younger sister likes listening to pop music.
兄弟	xiōngdì	brothers	他们是亲兄弟。	Tāmen shì qīn xiōngdì.	They are biological brothers.
姐妹	jiěmèi	sisters	我们两姐妹住得很近。	Wǒmen liǎng jiěmèi zhù de hěn jìn.	We two sisters live very close to each other.
兄弟姐妹	xiōngdì jiěmèi	siblings	我有三个兄弟姐妹。	Wǒ yǒu sān gè xiōngdì jiěmèi.	I have three siblings.
嫂子	sǎozi	older brother’s wife	我嫂子是医生。	Wǒ sǎozi shì yīshēng.	My older brother’s wife is a doctor.
弟媳	dìxí	younger brother’s wife	我弟媳做饭很好吃。	Wǒ dìxí zuòfàn hěn hǎochī.	My younger brother’s wife cooks really well.
独生子女	dúshēng zǐnǚ	only child	他是独生子女。	Tā shì dúshēng zǐnǚ.	He is an only child.

Grandparents, Aunts, And Uncles

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
爷爷	yéye	paternal grandfather	我爷爷每天打太极拳。	Wǒ yéye měitiān dǎ tàijíquán.	My paternal grandfather does tai chi every day.
奶奶	nǎinai	paternal grandmother	我奶奶包的饺子最好吃。	Wǒ nǎinai bāo de jiǎozi zuì hǎochī.	The dumplings my paternal grandmother makes are the best.
外公	wàigōng	maternal grandfather	我外公年轻时是老师。	Wǒ wàigōng niánqīng shí shì lǎoshī.	My maternal grandfather was a teacher when he was young.
外婆	wàipó	maternal grandmother	我外婆喜欢种花。	Wǒ wàipó xǐhuan zhòng huā.	My maternal grandmother likes growing flowers.
长辈	zhǎngbèi	elders	见到长辈要先问好。	Jiàndào zhǎngbèi yào xiān wènhǎo.	You should greet elders first when you see them.
伯伯	bóbo	father’s older brother	那位伯伯住在天津。	Nà wèi bóbo zhù zài Tiānjīn.	That older paternal uncle lives in Tianjin.
叔叔	shūshu	father’s younger brother	我叔叔开了一家小店。	Wǒ shūshu kāi le yì jiā xiǎo diàn.	My father’s younger brother opened a small shop.
舅舅	jiùjiu	mother’s brother	我舅舅喜欢钓鱼。	Wǒ jiùjiu xǐhuan diàoyú.	My maternal uncle likes fishing.
姑姑	gūgu	father’s sister	我姑姑每年都来看我们。	Wǒ gūgu měinián dōu lái kàn wǒmen.	My paternal aunt comes to see us every year.
姨妈	yímā	mother’s sister	我姨妈住在广州。	Wǒ yímā zhù zài Guǎngzhōu.	My maternal aunt lives in Guangzhou.

Extended Family And Cousins

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
伯母	bómǔ	wife of father’s older brother	我伯母很会种菜。	Wǒ bómǔ hěn huì zhòngcài.	My older paternal uncle’s wife is great at growing vegetables.
婶婶	shěnshen	wife of father’s younger brother	我婶婶说话很温柔。	Wǒ shěnshen shuōhuà hěn wēnróu.	My younger paternal uncle’s wife speaks very gently.
舅妈	jiùmā	wife of mother’s brother	我舅妈做的面条很好吃。	Wǒ jiùmā zuò de miàntiáo hěn hǎochī.	The noodles my maternal uncle’s wife makes are delicious.
姑父	gūfu	husband of father’s sister	我姑父喜欢看足球比赛。	Wǒ gūfu xǐhuan kàn zúqiú bǐsài.	My paternal aunt’s husband likes watching football matches.
堂哥	tánggē	older male cousin on father’s family branch	我堂哥比我大两岁。	Wǒ tánggē bǐ wǒ dà liǎng suì.	My older male paternal-branch cousin is two years older than me.
堂弟	tángdì	younger male cousin on father’s family branch	我堂弟刚学会骑车。	Wǒ tángdì gāng xuéhuì qíchē.	My younger male paternal-branch cousin just learned to ride a bike.
堂姐	tángjiě	older female cousin on father’s family branch	我堂姐在银行上班。	Wǒ tángjiě zài yínháng shàngbān.	My older female paternal-branch cousin works at a bank.
堂妹	tángmèi	younger female cousin on father’s family branch	我堂妹很喜欢小狗。	Wǒ tángmèi hěn xǐhuan xiǎogǒu.	My younger female paternal-branch cousin really likes puppies.
表哥	biǎogē	older male cousin on other family branches	我表哥会弹吉他。	Wǒ biǎogē huì tán jítā.	My older male cousin can play the guitar.
表弟	biǎodì	younger male cousin on other family branches	我表弟跑得很快。	Wǒ biǎodì pǎo de hěn kuài.	My younger male cousin runs very fast.

Marriage And Parents-In-Law

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
表姐	biǎojiě	older female cousin on other family branches	我表姐在北京读研究生。	Wǒ biǎojiě zài Běijīng dú yánjiūshēng.	My older female cousin is doing graduate studies in Beijing.
表妹	biǎomèi	younger female cousin on other family branches	我表妹喜欢看动画片。	Wǒ biǎomèi xǐhuan kàn dònghuàpiàn.	My younger female cousin likes watching cartoons.
丈夫	zhàngfu	husband	她丈夫很会做早餐。	Tā zhàngfu hěn huì zuò zǎocān.	Her husband is very good at making breakfast.
妻子	qīzi	wife	他妻子是律师。	Tā qīzi shì lǜshī.	His wife is a lawyer.
老公	lǎogōng	husband; hubby	我老公今天出差。	Wǒ lǎogōng jīntiān chūchāi.	My husband is on a business trip today.
老婆	lǎopo	wife	我老婆很喜欢旅行。	Wǒ lǎopo hěn xǐhuan lǚxíng.	My wife really likes traveling.
夫妻	fūqī	married couple	他们是一对很恩爱的夫妻。	Tāmen shì yí duì hěn ēn’ài de fūqī.	They are a very loving married couple.
公公	gōnggong	husband’s father	我公公爱喝绿茶。	Wǒ gōnggong ài hē lǜchá.	My father-in-law likes drinking green tea.
婆婆	pópo	husband’s mother	我婆婆做菜很快。	Wǒ pópo zuòcài hěn kuài.	My mother-in-law cooks very quickly.
岳父	yuèfù	wife’s father	他岳父以前是工程师。	Tā yuèfù yǐqián shì gōngchéngshī.	His father-in-law used to be an engineer.

In-Laws And Modern Family Words

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
岳母	yuèmǔ	wife’s mother	她跟岳母相处得很好。	Tā gēn yuèmǔ xiāngchǔ de hěn hǎo.	She gets along very well with her mother-in-law.
女婿	nǚxù	son-in-law	我女婿很有耐心。	Wǒ nǚxù hěn yǒu nàixīn.	My son-in-law is very patient.
儿媳妇	érxífù	daughter-in-law	她儿媳妇会说三种语言。	Tā érxífù huì shuō sān zhǒng yǔyán.	Her daughter-in-law can speak three languages.
姐夫	jiěfu	older sister’s husband	我姐夫会修电脑。	Wǒ jiěfu huì xiū diànnǎo.	My older sister’s husband can repair computers.
妹夫	mèifu	younger sister’s husband	我妹夫很会拍照。	Wǒ mèifu hěn huì pāizhào.	My younger sister’s husband is great at taking photos.
继父	jìfù	stepfather	我的继父对我很好。	Wǒ de jìfù duì wǒ hěn hǎo.	My stepfather is very good to me.
继母	jìmǔ	stepmother	他和继母相处得不错。	Tā hé jìmǔ xiāngchǔ de bùcuò.	He gets along pretty well with his stepmother.
养父	yǎngfù	adoptive father	她养父很支持她。	Tā yǎngfù hěn zhīchí tā.	Her adoptive father supports her a lot.
养母	yǎngmǔ	adoptive mother	我养母喜欢做甜点。	Wǒ yǎngmǔ xǐhuan zuò tiándiǎn.	My adoptive mother likes making desserts.
单亲家庭	dānqīn jiātíng	single-parent family	她来自单亲家庭。	Tā láizì dānqīn jiātíng.	She comes from a single-parent family.

Fast Pattern Guide

Pattern	What It Usually Tells You	Example
Older vs younger matters	Chinese often separates age order in close family words.	哥哥 (gēge) vs 弟弟 (dìdi); 姐姐 (jiějie) vs 妹妹 (mèimei)
Dad’s side vs mom’s side matters	One English word like “uncle” becomes several different Chinese words.	叔叔 (shūshu) vs 舅舅 (jiùjiu)
堂 (táng) often points to the father’s family branch	Cousins on that branch use 堂 (táng).	堂哥 (tánggē), 堂姐 (tángjiě)
表 (biǎo) often points to other cousin branches	Many cousins through the mother’s side or father’s sisters use 表 (biǎo).	表哥 (biǎogē), 表妹 (biǎomèi)
Formal spouse words vs casual spouse words	Some words sound more written, others more everyday.	丈夫 (zhàngfu) / 妻子 (qīzi) vs 老公 (lǎogōng) / 老婆 (lǎopo)
Real speech has variants	You may hear more than one correct word in daily conversation.	姨妈 (yímā) and 阿姨 (āyí) can overlap, but 阿姨 (āyí) is broader

FAQ

Do I Need Different Words For Dad’s Side And Mom’s Side?

Yes. Chinese is very specific here. Your dad’s younger brother is 叔叔 (shūshu), but your mom’s brother is 舅舅 (jiùjiu). Your dad’s sister is 姑姑 (gūgu), while your mom’s sister is 姨妈 (yímā). English shrugs. Chinese absolutely does not.

Do Cousin Words Really Change Too?

They do. 堂 (táng) often marks cousins on the father’s family branch, while 表 (biǎo) often marks cousins on other branches. So 堂姐 (tángjiě) and 表姐 (biǎojiě) both mean “older female cousin,” but they point to different family lines.

Should I Say 丈夫 (zhàngfu) Or 老公 (lǎogōng)?

丈夫 (zhàngfu) and 妻子 (qīzi) sound more formal or written. 老公 (lǎogōng) and 老婆 (lǎopo) are very common in everyday speech. In casual conversation, the everyday pair usually wins.

Is 姨妈 (yímā) The Same As 阿姨 (āyí)?

Not exactly. 姨妈 (yímā) specifically means your mother’s sister. 阿姨 (āyí) can mean that too, but it is also used for unrelated older women, like a family friend or a neighbor. Very useful word, slightly chaotic job description.

Learn a few terms at a time, say them out loud with the pinyin, and family introductions in Chinese stop feeling like a reunion where everyone somehow has the same name tag.