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The Chinese family system is quite complex. The words for various relations depend primarily on the relative position of that person in the traditional extended family system, in which a woman married into her husband's family. Thus there was a big difference between an aunt who was the wife of your father's elder brother (who would live in the same household and have quite a bit of authority over you), and the sister of your mother (whom you would see only on special occasions). Likewise, there was a difference between an uncle who was older than your father and one who was younger. Nowadays, as fewer families live in an extended-family household, the more specialized terms are falling into disuse. The partial list below is offered only for your reference.
| parents | parents | 父母 |
| father | 父親, 爸爸 | |
| mother | 母親, 媽媽 | |
| offspring | son | 兒子 |
| daughter | 女兒 | |
| siblings | brothers and sisters | 兄弟姐妹 |
| elder brother | 哥哥 | |
| younger brother | 弟弟 | |
| elder sister | 姐姐 | |
| younger sister | 妹妹 | |
| spouse | spouse (PRC only, going out of fashion) | 愛人 |
| husband | 先生, 丈夫 | |
| wife | 太太, 妻子 | |
| grandparents | father's father | 爺爺, 祖父 |
| father's mother | 奶奶, 祖母 | |
| mother's father | 外公, 外祖父 | |
| mother's mother | 外婆, 外祖母 | |
| grandchildren | son's son | 孫子 |
| son's daughter | 孫女 | |
| daughter's son | 外孫 | |
| daughter's daughter | 外孫女 | |
| cousins | cousins on father's side | 堂哥, 堂弟, 堂姐, 堂妹 |
| cousins on mother's side | 表哥, 表弟, 表姐, 表妹 | |
| uncles | father's elder brother |
伯伯, 伯父 |
| father's younger brother | 叔叔, 叔父 | |
| mother's brother | 舅舅 | |
| aunts | father's sister | 姑姑, 姑媽 |
| wife of father's elder brother | 伯母 | |
| wife of father's younger brother | 嬸嬸 | |
| mother's sister | 阿姨, 姨媽 | |
| wife of mother's brother | 舅媽 | |
| nephews | brother's son | 姪兒, 姪子 |
| sister's son | 外甥 | |
| nieces | brother's
daughter |
姪女 |
| sister's daughter | 外甥女, 甥女 |
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If you can't read the Chinese characters, install Microsoft traditional Chinese font, then set browser to view character set "Big 5 (traditional Chinese)."
This page
created by Mary Jacob 
