Chinese New Year things to teach the kids : Chinese Terms to Address Relatives

With Chinese New Year right around the corner, it’s a good time to give the kids and ourselves a refresher on the proper Chinese terms to address relatives. So here ‘s a list for your reference. We are updating this so if there is any terms you will like to add or think there should be an alternative term, just drop us a comment and we will try our best to add it in.

Dad 爸爸 (bàba)
Mum 妈妈 (māma)
Husband 丈夫 (zhàng fu)/ 先生 (xiàn shēng)
Wife 妻子 (qīzi)/太太 (tài tài)
Spouse 愛人 / 老伴 / 配偶 pèi ǒu)
Husband and Wife 夫妻 (fū qī)

Siblings and Sibling’s Spouse

Elder Brother 哥哥 (gē ge)
Elder Brother’s Wife 嫂子 (sǎo zi)
Younger Brother 弟弟 (dì di)
Younger Brother’s Wife 小嫂 / 弟妹 (dì mèi)
Elder Sister 姐姐 (jiě jie)
Elder Sister’s Husband 姐夫 (jiě fu)
Younger Sister 妹妹 (mèi mèi)
Younger Sister’s Husband 妹夫 (mèi fu)

Grandparents

Grandpa (Dad’s Dad) 爷爷 (yéye)
Grandma (Dad’s Mum) 奶奶 (nǎi nai)
Grandpa (Mum’s Dad) 外公 (wài gōng)/ 公公 (gōng gōng)
Grandma (Mum’s Mum) 外婆 (wài pó) / 婆婆 (pó pó)

Uncle and Aunts

Dad’s Elder Brother ) 伯伯 (bóbo)
Dad’s Elder Bro’s Wife) 伯母 (bó mu)
Dad’s Younger Bro) 叔叔 (shūshu)
Dad’s Younger Bro’s Wife) 婶婶 (shěnshen)
Dad’s Elder Sister) 姑母 (gū mu)
Dad’s Younger Sister) 姑姑 (gū gu)
Dad’s Sister’s Husband) 姑丈 (gū zhàng)
Mum’s Brother 舅舅 (jiù jiu)
Mum’s Brother’s Wife 舅妈(jiù mā)
Mum’s Sister 姨妈 (yí mā)
Mum’s Sister’s Husband 姨丈 (yízhàng)
Aunty (General) 阿姨 (Ah yí )
Uncle (General) 叔叔 (shūshu)

Grand Uncle and Aunts

Maternal Grandparent’s Sister 姨婆(yí pó), 姑婆 (gū pó)
Paternal Grandparent’s Sister 姑婆，舅婆，姨婆
Grandparent’s Sister’s Husband 丈公 (zhàng gōng), 姨丈公, 姑公, 姨公
Grandparent’s Brother 叔祖父, 伯祖父,舅老爷，姑老爷

Parent In- Laws

Father-in-Law (Husband side) 公公 (gōng gong)
Mother-in-Law (Husband side) 婆婆 (pó po)
Father-in-Law (Wife side) 岳父 (yuè fù)
Mother-in-Law (Wife side) 岳母 (yuè mǔ)

Cousins and Cousin’s Spouse

Cousin ( Dad’s Side) 堂哥, 堂弟, 堂姐, 堂妹
Cousin’s Spouse (Dad’s Side) 堂嫂, 堂姐夫, 堂妹夫
Cousin (Mum’s Side) 表哥, 表弟, 表姐, 表妹
Cousin’s Spouse (Mum’s Side) 表嫂, 表姐夫, 表妹夫

image credit: Ninchanese