The Chinese family tree may seem overwhelming at first, with its many specific terms for different family members and relationships. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! This guide will help you navigate the 家谱 (jiāpǔ), or Chinese family tree 👫

Chinese Family Tree

To start, let’s learn how to say “family” in Chinese:

家庭
jiātíng
family; household

家人
jiārén
family member

亲戚
qīnqi
relatives

NOTE

To mention how many people are in your family, you can say:

我家有······口人。
Wǒ jiā yǒu······kǒu rén.
There are……people in my family.

The character “口” (kǒu) is a measure word used to count people in a family.

01. Immediate Family

01. Parents

Now let’s take a look at your immediate family members, starting with parents (父母 fùmǔ).

母亲
mǔqīn
mother

父亲
fùqīn
father

NOTE

These characters are more formal terms, most children call their parents “dad” (爸爸 bàba) or “mom” (妈妈 māma).

02. Siblings

Now, let’s take a look at siblings (兄弟姐妹 xiōngdì jiěmèi).

哥哥
gēge
elder brother

弟弟
dìdi
younger brother

姐姐
jiějie
elder sister

妹妹
mèimei
younger sister

03. Grandparents

Here are the Chinese names of grandparents.

爷爷
yéye
grandfather (father’s side)

外公
wàigōng
grandfather (mother’s side)

奶奶
nǎinai
grandmother (father’s side)

外婆
wàipó
grandmother (mother’s side)

02. Your Own Family

01. Wife and Husband

When you have your own family, these are the terms to address your partner:

妻子
qīzi
wife

丈夫
zhàngfu
husband

NOTE

In informal settings, you can use 老婆 (lǎopó) for “wife” and 老公 (lǎogōng) for “husband.”

02. Children

孩子
háizi
children

儿子
érzi
son

女儿
nǚ’ér
daughter

03. Other Relatives

Now, let’s level up and learn how to address other family relatives.

01. Uncle

伯伯
bóbo
father’s older brother

叔叔
shūshu
father’s younger brother

舅舅
jiùjiu
mother’s brother

🤓 The terms for uncles on the mother’s side are the same regardless of age.

02. Aunt

姑姑
gūgu
father’s sister

姨
yí
mother’s sister

03. Cousins

As for other family relatives, the terms for cousins vary based on the side of the family:

🧔Father’s side:
堂兄 (tángxiōng) – elder male cousin
堂弟 (tángdì) – younger male cousin
堂姐 (tángjiě) – elder female cousin
堂妹 (tángmèi) – younger female cousin

👩‍🦰Mother’s side:
表兄 (biǎoxiōng) – elder male cousin
表弟 (biǎodì) – younger male cousin
表姐 (biǎojiě) – elder female cousin
表妹 (biǎomèi) – younger female cousin

Bonus

Quickly find out about family relationships with just a few clicks:

| Chinese Family Tree Calculator