【Learn Chinese】The Chinese Family Tree

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 article 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

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. 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
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)

04. 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
In informal settings, you can use 老婆 (lǎopó) for “wife” and 老公 (lǎogōng) for “husband.”

05. Children
孩子 (háizi) - children
儿子 (érzi) - son
女儿 (nǚ’ér) - daughter

06. Other Relatives
Now, let’s level up and learn how to address other family relatives.
伯伯 (bóbo) - father’s older brother
叔叔 (shūshu) - father’s younger brother
舅舅 (jiùjiu) - mother’s brother
姑姑 (gūgu) - father’s sister
姨 (yí) - mother’s sister