Family Members in Traditional Chinese: 80+ Words & 15 Phrases (No Guessing)

繁體中文家人稱呼｜Parents, cousins, in-laws—sorted, explained, and actually usable in real life.

Want to introduce your family in Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) without accidentally calling your cousin your uncle? Same. Below you’ll get the most common family member words with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and example sentences.

Tap the 🔊 buttons to hear the Hanzi (Taiwan Mandarin zh-TW) and copy-paste the phrases when you’re meeting someone’s family.

Yak Snark

Chinese family terms can feel like a spreadsheet with feelings. The good news: you don’t need all of them today. Learn the “daily drivers” first, then level up when you’re ready to talk about your dad’s older brother’s daughter’s kid. (Yes, there’s a word. Of course there is.)

Section 1: The “use these today” family words

These are the ones you’ll say constantly: parents, siblings, and kids. Each card includes a mini example so you can use it immediately.

爸爸

bàba

dad

我爸爸會開車。

Wǒ bàba huì kāichē.

My dad can drive.

媽媽

māma

mom

我媽媽做的菜很好吃。

Wǒ māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.

My mom’s cooking is delicious.

哥哥

gēge

older brother

我哥哥比我高。

Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gāo.

My older brother is taller than me.

姐姐

jiějie

older sister

我姐姐在日本工作。

Wǒ jiějie zài Rìběn gōngzuò.

My older sister works in Japan.

弟弟

dìdi

younger brother

我弟弟還在念書。

Wǒ dìdi hái zài niànshū.

My younger brother is still studying.

妹妹

mèimei

younger sister

我妹妹喜歡音樂。

Wǒ mèimei xǐhuan yīnyuè.

My younger sister likes music.

兒子

érzi

son

我兒子很愛畫畫。

Wǒ érzi hěn ài huàhuà.

My son really loves drawing.

女兒

nǚ’ér

daughter

我女兒今年五歲。

Wǒ nǚ’ér jīnnián wǔ suì.

My daughter is five this year.

1.01 Handy phrases you can steal immediately

Meeting people? Introducing family? These lines do most of the work. Tap 🔊 to practice.

這是我爸爸。

Zhè shì wǒ bàba.

This is my dad.

這是我媽媽。

Zhè shì wǒ māma.

This is my mom.

我爸媽在台中。

Wǒ bàmā zài Táizhōng.

My parents are in Taichung.

我有一個哥哥。

Wǒ yǒu yí ge gēge.

I have an older brother.

你家有幾口人？

Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?

How many people are in your family?

我們家有四口人。

Wǒmen jiā yǒu sì kǒu rén.

There are four people in my family.

她是我表妹。

Tā shì wǒ biǎomèi.

She’s my younger cousin.

週末要回家看爺爺奶奶。

Zhōumò yào huí jiā kàn yéye nǎinai.

I’m going home this weekend to see my grandparents.

今天是家庭聚會。

Jīntiān shì jiātíng jùhuì.

Today is a family get-together.

我們都是親戚，不要客氣。

Wǒmen dōu shì qīnqi, búyào kèqì.

We’re family—no need to be formal.

1.1 Why Chinese family words feel…extra

A lot of terms are super specific. That’s not “hard,” it’s just “very organized.” Here are the big patterns you’ll see in the tables:

Quick decoding cheats:

外 often means “mom’s side” (maternal): 外公, 外婆, 外甥.
堂 cousins = same paternal line (traditionally same surname side): 堂哥、堂妹.
表 cousins = the “other” side (mom’s side or your dad’s sisters): 表哥、表妹.
伯 / 叔 are dad’s brothers (older / younger). 舅 is mom’s brother. 姑 / 姨 are aunts.

Section 2: Family member vocabulary (with examples)

2A) Family basics

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
家人	jiārén	family members	我很想我的家人。 Wǒ hěn xiǎng wǒ de jiārén.	I really miss my family.
親戚	qīnqi	relatives	週末我們去親戚家吃飯。 Zhōumò wǒmen qù qīnqi jiā chīfàn.	On weekends we go eat at our relatives’ home.
家族	jiāzú	clan / extended family	他們家族很大。 Tāmen jiāzú hěn dà.	Their extended family is big.
家庭	jiātíng	household / family (as a unit)	她很重視家庭。 Tā hěn zhòngshì jiātíng.	She really values family.
家	jiā	home / family	我下班就回家。 Wǒ xiàbān jiù huí jiā.	I go home right after work.
長輩	zhǎngbèi	elders	跟長輩說話要有禮貌。 Gēn zhǎngbèi shuōhuà yào yǒu lǐmào.	Be polite when speaking to elders.
晚輩	wǎnbèi	younger generation	晚輩可以先自我介紹。 Wǎnbèi kěyǐ xiān zìwǒ jièshào.	Younger people can introduce themselves first.
祖先	zǔxiān	ancestors	清明節我們拜祖先。 Qīngmíngjié wǒmen bài zǔxiān.	On Tomb-Sweeping Day we honor our ancestors.

2B) Immediate family

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
爸爸	bàba	dad	我爸爸會開車。 Wǒ bàba huì kāichē.	My dad can drive.
媽媽	māma	mom	我媽媽做的菜很好吃。 Wǒ māma zuò de cài hěn hǎochī.	My mom’s cooking is delicious.
爸媽	bàmā	parents (casual)	我爸媽住在高雄。 Wǒ bàmā zhù zài Gāoxióng.	My parents live in Kaohsiung.
哥哥	gēge	older brother	我哥哥比我高。 Wǒ gēge bǐ wǒ gāo.	My older brother is taller than me.
姐姐	jiějie	older sister	我姐姐在日本工作。 Wǒ jiějie zài Rìběn gōngzuò.	My older sister works in Japan.
弟弟	dìdi	younger brother	我弟弟還在念書。 Wǒ dìdi hái zài niànshū.	My younger brother is still studying.
妹妹	mèimei	younger sister	我妹妹喜歡音樂。 Wǒ mèimei xǐhuan yīnyuè.	My younger sister likes music.
兄弟姊妹	xiōngdì zǐmèi	siblings	我有三個兄弟姊妹。 Wǒ yǒu sān ge xiōngdì zǐmèi.	I have three siblings.
孩子	háizi	child / children	這裡很多孩子在玩。 Zhèlǐ hěn duō háizi zài wán.	Lots of kids are playing here.
小孩	xiǎohái	kid (casual)	小孩睡著了。 Xiǎohái shuìzháo le.	The kid fell asleep.
兒子	érzi	son	我兒子很愛畫畫。 Wǒ érzi hěn ài huàhuà.	My son really loves drawing.
女兒	nǚ’ér	daughter	我女兒今年五歲。 Wǒ nǚ’ér jīnnián wǔ suì.	My daughter is five this year.
老公	lǎogōng	husband (casual)	我老公今天加班。 Wǒ lǎogōng jīntiān jiābān.	My husband is working overtime today.
老婆	lǎopó	wife (casual)	他很疼他老婆。 Tā hěn téng tā lǎopó.	He really adores his wife.
伴侶	bànlǚ	partner	她和伴侶一起旅行。 Tā hé bànlǚ yìqǐ lǚxíng.	She travels with her partner.
配偶	pèi’ǒu	spouse (formal)	表格上要填配偶的名字。 Biǎogé shàng yào tián pèi’ǒu de míngzì.	You need to fill in your spouse’s name on the form.

2C) Grandparents & great-grandparents

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
爺爺	yéye	(dad’s side) grandpa	我爺爺每天散步。 Wǒ yéye měitiān sànbù.	My grandpa walks every day.
奶奶	nǎinai	(dad’s side) grandma	我奶奶很會講故事。 Wǒ nǎinai hěn huì jiǎng gùshì.	My grandma is great at telling stories.
外公	wàigōng	(mom’s side) grandpa	我外公喜歡喝茶。 Wǒ wàigōng xǐhuan hē chá.	My maternal grandpa likes tea.
外婆	wàipó	(mom’s side) grandma	我外婆種很多花。 Wǒ wàipó zhòng hěn duō huā.	My maternal grandma grows lots of flowers.
祖父母	zǔfùmǔ	grandparents (general)	我每年都去看祖父母。 Wǒ měinián dōu qù kàn zǔfùmǔ.	I visit my grandparents every year.
曾祖父	zēngzǔfù	great-grandfather	我曾祖父的照片還在。 Wǒ zēngzǔfù de zhàopiàn hái zài.	The photo of my great-grandfather is still here.
曾祖母	zēngzǔmǔ	great-grandmother	我曾祖母很長壽。 Wǒ zēngzǔmǔ hěn chángshòu.	My great-grandmother lived a long life.
孫子	sūnzi	grandson	我爺爺最疼孫子。 Wǒ yéye zuì téng sūnzi.	My grandpa spoils his grandson the most.
孫女	sūnnǚ	granddaughter	她抱著孫女拍照。 Tā bàozhe sūnnǚ pāizhào.	She held her granddaughter for a photo.

2D) Aunts & uncles (dad’s side)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
伯伯	bóbo	dad’s older brother	我伯伯住在台南。 Wǒ bóbo zhù zài Táinán.	My dad’s older brother lives in Tainan.
伯母	bómǔ	wife of dad’s older brother	我伯母很熱情。 Wǒ bómǔ hěn rèqíng.	My aunt (伯母) is very warm.
叔叔	shūshu	dad’s younger brother	我叔叔在銀行上班。 Wǒ shūshu zài yínháng shàngbān.	My uncle works at a bank.
嬸嬸	shěnshen	wife of dad’s younger brother	我嬸嬸會做蛋糕。 Wǒ shěnshen huì zuò dàngāo.	My aunt (嬸嬸) can bake cakes.
姑姑	gūgu	dad’s sister	我姑姑常常打電話給我。 Wǒ gūgu chángcháng dǎ diànhuà gěi wǒ.	My aunt calls me often.
姑丈	gūzhàng	husband of dad’s sister	我姑丈喜歡釣魚。 Wǒ gūzhàng xǐhuan diàoyú.	My aunt’s husband likes fishing.

2E) Aunts & uncles (mom’s side)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
舅舅	jiùjiu	mom’s brother	我舅舅很幽默。 Wǒ jiùjiu hěn yōumò.	My maternal uncle is funny.
舅媽	jiùmā	wife of mom’s brother	我舅媽在開店。 Wǒ jiùmā zài kāidiàn.	My aunt (舅媽) runs a shop.
阿姨	āyí	mom’s sister / “auntie”	我阿姨帶我去看電影。 Wǒ āyí dài wǒ qù kàn diànyǐng.	My aunt took me to a movie.
姨丈	yízhàng	husband of mom’s sister	我姨丈會說英文。 Wǒ yízhàng huì shuō Yīngwén.	My aunt’s husband can speak English.

2F) Cousins

Reminder: 堂 = paternal line cousins; 表 = other side cousins. You don’t need to overthink it—just pick the right bucket.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
堂哥	tánggē	older male cousin (dad’s side)	我堂哥比我早結婚。 Wǒ tánggē bǐ wǒ zǎo jiéhūn.	My cousin got married earlier than I did.
堂姐	tángjiě	older female cousin (dad’s side)	我堂姐很會照顧人。 Wǒ tángjiě hěn huì zhàogù rén.	My cousin is great at taking care of people.
堂弟	tángdì	younger male cousin (dad’s side)	我堂弟正在學開車。 Wǒ tángdì zhèngzài xué kāichē.	My younger cousin is learning to drive.
堂妹	tángmèi	younger female cousin (dad’s side)	我堂妹喜歡貓。 Wǒ tángmèi xǐhuan māo.	My younger cousin likes cats.
表哥	biǎogē	older male cousin (other side)	我表哥在上海工作。 Wǒ biǎogē zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò.	My cousin works in Shanghai.
表姐	biǎojiě	older female cousin (other side)	我表姐會彈鋼琴。 Wǒ biǎojiě huì tán gāngqín.	My cousin can play piano.
表弟	biǎodì	younger male cousin (other side)	我表弟還是高中生。 Wǒ biǎodì háishi gāozhōngshēng.	My younger cousin is still a high school student.
表妹	biǎomèi	younger female cousin (other side)	我表妹住得很近。 Wǒ biǎomèi zhù de hěn jìn.	My younger cousin lives nearby.

2G) Nieces & nephews

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
侄子	zhízi	nephew (brother’s child)	我侄子很愛笑。 Wǒ zhízi hěn ài xiào.	My nephew loves to laugh.
侄女	zhínǚ	niece (brother’s child)	我侄女會自己穿鞋。 Wǒ zhínǚ huì zìjǐ chuān xié.	My niece can put on her shoes by herself.
外甥	wàishēng	nephew (sister’s child)	我外甥很喜歡恐龍。 Wǒ wàishēng hěn xǐhuan kǒnglóng.	My nephew really likes dinosaurs.
外甥女	wàishēngnǚ	niece (sister’s child)	我外甥女叫我「阿姨」。 Wǒ wàishēngnǚ jiào wǒ “āyí”.	My niece calls me “auntie.”

2H) In-laws (yes, there are many)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
公公	gōnggong	husband’s father	我公公很早起。 Wǒ gōnggong hěn zǎo qǐ.	My father-in-law (husband’s dad) wakes up early.
婆婆	pópo	husband’s mother	我婆婆很會煮湯。 Wǒ pópo hěn huì zhǔ tāng.	My mother-in-law makes great soup.
岳父	yuèfù	wife’s father	我岳父很喜歡運動。 Wǒ yuèfù hěn xǐhuan yùndòng.	My father-in-law (wife’s dad) likes sports.
岳母	yuèmǔ	wife’s mother	我岳母對我很好。 Wǒ yuèmǔ duì wǒ hěn hǎo.	My mother-in-law is very kind to me.
媳婦	xífù	daughter-in-law (son’s wife)	她是我家的媳婦。 Tā shì wǒ jiā de xífù.	She is our daughter-in-law.
女婿	nǚxu	son-in-law (daughter’s husband)	我女婿會做咖啡。 Wǒ nǚxu huì zuò kāfēi.	My son-in-law can make coffee.
嫂子	sǎozi	older brother’s wife	我嫂子在當老師。 Wǒ sǎozi zài dāng lǎoshī.	My sister-in-law is a teacher.
弟媳	dìxí	younger brother’s wife	我弟媳很會做菜。 Wǒ dìxí hěn huì zuò cài.	My younger brother’s wife cooks well.
姐夫	jiěfu	sister’s husband	我姐夫開了一間餐廳。 Wǒ jiěfu kāi le yì jiān cāntīng.	My brother-in-law opened a restaurant.
妹夫	mèifu	younger sister’s husband	我妹夫正在找工作。 Wǒ mèifu zhèngzài zhǎo gōngzuò.	My younger sister’s husband is job hunting.

2I) Engagement, exes, and modern life

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
未婚夫	wèihūnfū	fiancé	她和未婚夫下個月結婚。 Tā hé wèihūnfū xià ge yuè jiéhūn.	She and her fiancé are getting married next month.
未婚妻	wèihūnqī	fiancée	他帶未婚妻見家人。 Tā dài wèihūnqī jiàn jiārén.	He brought his fiancée to meet the family.
前夫	qiánfū	ex-husband	她和前夫還是朋友。 Tā hé qiánfū háishi péngyǒu.	She and her ex-husband are still friends.
前妻	qiánqī	ex-wife	他前妻住在國外。 Tā qiánqī zhù zài guówài.	His ex-wife lives abroad.

2J) Step & adoptive family

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
繼父	jìfù	stepfather	他把繼父當成爸爸。 Tā bǎ jìfù dāngchéng bàba.	He treats his stepdad like his dad.
繼母	jìmǔ	stepmother	她和繼母相處得不錯。 Tā hé jìmǔ xiāngchǔ de búcuò.	She gets along well with her stepmom.
繼子	jìzǐ	stepson	他很照顧他的繼子。 Tā hěn zhàogù tā de jìzǐ.	He takes great care of his stepson.
繼女	jìnǚ	stepdaughter	我繼女喜歡畫畫。 Wǒ jìnǚ xǐhuan huàhuà.	My stepdaughter likes drawing.
養父	yǎngfù	adoptive father	我的養父很支持我。 Wǒ de yǎngfù hěn zhīchí wǒ.	My adoptive father supports me a lot.
養母	yǎngmǔ	adoptive mother	養母教我做菜。 Yǎngmǔ jiāo wǒ zuò cài.	My adoptive mother taught me to cook.
養子	yǎngzǐ	adopted son	他們領養了一個養子。 Tāmen lǐngyǎng le yí ge yǎngzǐ.	They adopted a son.
養女	yǎngnǚ	adopted daughter	這本書是寫給養女的。 Zhè běn shū shì xiě gěi yǎngnǚ de.	This book is written for an adopted daughter.

Section 3: Variants & measure words (so you don’t sound weird)

These show up a lot in Taiwan. You can mix casual + polite depending on the situation. (Yes, your grandma will notice.)

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Notes	Example (ZH + pinyin)	Translation (EN)
父親	fùqīn	father (more formal)	More “written / formal” than 爸爸.	我父親很安靜。 Wǒ fùqīn hěn ānjìng.	My father is very quiet.
母親	mǔqīn	mother (more formal)	More “written / formal” than 媽媽.	我母親很會照顧人。 Wǒ mǔqīn hěn huì zhàogù rén.	My mother is great at taking care of people.
丈夫	zhàngfu	husband (neutral/formal)	Often used in more formal settings than 老公.	她的丈夫很體貼。 Tā de zhàngfu hěn tǐtiē.	Her husband is very considerate.
妻子	qīzi	wife (neutral/formal)	Often used in more formal settings than 老婆.	他介紹他的妻子給大家。 Tā jièshào tā de qīzi gěi dàjiā.	He introduced his wife to everyone.
姊姊	zǐjiě	older sister (Taiwan spelling)	In Taiwan you’ll often see 姊姊 and 姐姐 both.	我姊姊比我早起。 Wǒ zǐjiě bǐ wǒ zǎo qǐ.	My older sister wakes up earlier than me.
媽咪	māmī	mommy (cute/casual)	Often used with little kids.	小孩一直找媽咪。 Xiǎohái yìzhí zhǎo māmī.	The kid keeps looking for mommy.
爹	diē	dad (old-fashioned)	More classic / storybook vibe.	這個字在古裝劇裡很常見。 Zhè ge zì zài gǔzhuāngjù lǐ hěn chángjiàn.	This word is common in historical dramas.
口	kǒu	measure word for family members	Used in “X 口人” = X people in the household.	我們家有五口人。 Wǒmen jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén.	There are five people in my family.
位	wèi	polite measure word (for people)	Sounds respectful; great for elders.	那位是我外婆。 Nà wèi shì wǒ wàipó.	That person is my grandma (maternal).