👨👩👧👦 Chinese Family Vocabulary: You Must-Know Words for Beginners
👨👩👧👦 Chinese Family Vocabulary:You Must-Know Words for Beginners 中文家庭成员词汇 (Zhōngwén jiātíng chéngyuán cíhuì) 👉 Understanding family terms is one of the most essential and culturally rich parts of learning Chinese. 👉 Unlike English, Chinese distinguishes family members by relative age and paternal vs. maternal lineage — giving you a more precise (and sometimes complex!) vocabulary. 🔑 Key Vocabulary with Pinyin & Tones 父母 (fùmǔ) – Parents 父亲 (fùqīn) – Father (formal) 爸爸 (bàba) – Dad (informal) 母亲 (mǔqīn) – Mother (formal) 妈妈 (māma) – Mom (informal) 哥哥 (gēge) – Older brother 弟弟 (dìdi) – Younger brother 姐姐 (jiějie) – Older sister 妹妹 (mèimei) – Younger sister 👧 Cousins: 表妹 (biǎomèi) – younger female cousin (on mother’s side or not direct paternal line) biǎo = 3rd tone (used for cousins not on the direct paternal line) mèi = 4th tone ("younger sister") 🧓 Aunts and Uncles: 姑妈 (gūmā) – father’s sister 姑丈 (gūzhàng) – aunt’s husband (uncle-in-law on father...