Chinese Kinship Terms: 64-entry reference table

A fully static reference table of Chinese kinship terms, grouped by father’s side, mother’s side, your own family, your spouse’s family and younger generations. Chinese characters are kept as the primary data; English equivalents are provided for every row. 64 Chinese kinship terms. Open the calculator →

Last updated：2026-11-12 · Generated from the site’s kinship-data.js and rebuilt whenever the terms change.

Groups

Father’s side（14） · Mother’s side（12） · Your own family（12） · Spouse’s family（11） · Younger generations（8）

Father’s side · 🏠 14 terms

Father’s side: Standard term, meaning, regional variants, English and reverse term
Chinese term	Short English	Northern	Southern	English (full)	They call you (M / F)
爷爷	Grandfather	爷爷、爷	阿公（闽南/客家）、爷爷	paternal grandfather	孙子 / 孙女
奶奶	Grandmother	奶奶、婆	阿嬷（闽南）、奶奶	paternal grandmother	孙子 / 孙女
曾祖父	Great-grandfather	太爷爷、老爷爷	太公、曾祖父	paternal great-grandfather	曾孙 / 曾孙女
曾祖母	Great-grandmother	太奶奶、老奶奶	太婆、曾祖母	paternal great-grandmother	曾孙 / 曾孙女
伯父	Uncle	大伯、大爷、伯伯	阿伯、大伯、伯父	father's older brother	侄子 / 侄女
伯母	Aunt	大娘、大妈、伯母	伯娘、阿姆	father's older brother's wife	侄子 / 侄女
叔叔	Uncle	叔叔、小叔、老叔	阿叔、细叔（粤）、叔叔	father's younger brother	侄子 / 侄女
婶婶	Aunt	婶子、婶儿、婶婶	阿婶、婶婶	father's younger brother's wife	侄子 / 侄女
姑妈	Aunt	姑姑、姑妈、老姑	姑姐（粤）、阿姑、姑妈	father's sister	侄子 / 侄女
姑父	Uncle	姑父、姑夫	姑丈、姑爹	father's sister's husband	侄子 / 侄女
堂兄弟	Cousin	堂哥、堂弟	堂兄弟、堂哥、堂弟	paternal cousin (male)	堂兄弟 / 堂姐妹
堂姐妹	Cousin	堂姐、堂妹	堂姐妹、堂姐、堂妹	paternal cousin (female)	堂兄弟 / 堂姐妹
伯祖父	Great-uncle	大爷爷、二爷爷	伯公、叔公	grandfather's brother	侄孙 / 侄孙女
姑祖母	Great-aunt	姑奶奶、老姑	姑婆	grandfather's sister	侄孙 / 侄孙女

Mother’s side · 🌸 12 terms

Mother’s side: Standard term, meaning, regional variants, English and reverse term
Chinese term	Short English	Northern	Southern	English (full)	They call you (M / F)
外公	Grandfather	姥爷、外公	外公、阿公（部分Southern）	maternal grandfather	外孙 / 外孙女
外婆	Grandmother	姥姥、外婆	外婆、阿嬷（闽南）	maternal grandmother	外孙 / 外孙女
外曾祖父	Great-grandfather	太姥爷	外太公	maternal great-grandfather	外曾孙 / 外曾孙女
外曾祖母	Great-grandmother	太姥姥	外太婆	maternal great-grandmother	外曾孙 / 外曾孙女
舅舅	Uncle	舅舅、舅、老舅	舅父、阿舅、舅舅	mother's brother	外甥 / 外甥女
舅妈	Aunt	舅妈、舅母	舅母、阿舅母	mother's brother's wife	外甥 / 外甥女
姨妈	Aunt	姨妈、姨、大姨	阿姨、姨姨、姨母	mother's sister	外甥 / 外甥女
姨父	Uncle	姨父、姨夫	姨丈、姨爹	mother's sister's husband	外甥 / 外甥女
表兄弟	Cousin	表哥、表弟	表兄弟、表哥、表弟	maternal / non-patrilineal cousin (male)	表兄弟 / 表姐妹
表姐妹	Cousin	表姐、表妹	表姐妹、表姐、表妹	maternal / non-patrilineal cousin (female)	表兄弟 / 表姐妹
舅祖父	Great-uncle	舅爷爷	舅公	grandmother's brother	外甥孙 / 外甥孙女
姨祖母	Great-aunt	姨奶奶	姨婆	grandmother's sister	外甥孙 / 外甥孙女

Your own family · 🧸 12 terms

Your own family: Standard term, meaning, regional variants, English and reverse term
Chinese term	Short English	Northern	Southern	English (full)	They call you (M / F)
爸爸	Father / Dad	爸、老爸、爹	阿爸、老豆（粤）、阿爹	father	儿子 / 女儿
妈妈	Mother / Mom	妈、老妈、娘	阿妈、老母（粤）、妈咪	mother	儿子 / 女儿
哥哥	Older Brother	哥、大哥	阿哥、大佬（粤）	older brother	弟弟 / 妹妹
姐姐	Older Sister	姐、姐姐	家姐（粤）、姐姐	older sister	弟弟 / 妹妹
弟弟	Younger Brother	弟弟、老弟	细佬（粤）、弟弟	younger brother	哥哥 / 姐姐
妹妹	Younger Sister	妹妹、小妹	细妹（粤）、阿妹	younger sister	哥哥 / 姐姐
嫂子	Sister-in-law	嫂子、嫂儿	阿嫂、嫂子	older brother's wife	小叔子 / 小姑子
姐夫	Brother-in-law	姐夫	姐夫	older sister's husband	小舅子 / 小姨子
侄子	Nephew	侄子、小侄子	侄仔（粤）、侄子	brother's son	伯父/叔叔 / 姑妈
侄女	Niece	侄女	侄女	brother's daughter	伯父/叔叔 / 姑妈
外甥	Nephew	外甥	外甥	sister's son	舅舅 / 姨妈
外甥女	Niece	外甥女	外甥女	sister's daughter	舅舅 / 姨妈

Spouse’s family · 💗 11 terms

Spouse’s family: Standard term, meaning, regional variants, English and reverse term
Chinese term	Short English	Northern	Southern	English (full)	They call you (M / F)
老公	Husband	老公、爷们儿、当家的	老公、先生	husband	老婆 / 老婆
老婆	Wife	老婆、媳妇儿、家里的	老婆、太太	wife	老公 / 老公
公公	Father-in-law	公公、老爷子	家公（粤）、老爷	husband's father	儿媳 / 儿媳
婆婆	Mother-in-law	婆婆	家婆（粤）、奶奶	husband's mother	儿媳 / 儿媳
岳父	Father-in-law	老丈人、岳父	外父（粤）、岳父	wife's father	女婿 / 女婿
岳母	Mother-in-law	丈母娘、岳母	外母（粤）、岳母	wife's mother	女婿 / 女婿
大伯子	Brother-in-law	大伯子、大伯哥	大伯	husband's older brother	弟媳 / 弟媳
小叔子	Brother-in-law	小叔子	小叔	husband's younger brother	嫂子 / 嫂子
大姑子	Sister-in-law	大姑子、小姑子	姑仔（粤）、大姑子	husband's sister	嫂子/弟媳 / 嫂子/弟媳
大舅子	Brother-in-law	大舅子、小舅子	舅仔（粤）、大舅子	wife's brother	姐夫/妹夫 / 姐夫/妹夫
大姨子	Sister-in-law	大姨子、小姨子	姨仔（粤）、大姨子	wife's sister	姐夫/妹夫 / 姐夫/妹夫

Younger generations · 🍼 8 terms

Younger generations: Standard term, meaning, regional variants, English and reverse term
Chinese term	Short English	Northern	Southern	English (full)	They call you (M / F)
儿子	Son	儿子、小子	仔、儿子	son	爸爸 / 妈妈
女儿	Daughter	女儿、闺女、丫头	女、女儿、妹仔（粤）	daughter	爸爸 / 妈妈
儿媳	Daughter-in-law	儿媳妇、媳妇	新妇（粤）、儿媳	son's wife	公公 / 婆婆
女婿	Son-in-law	女婿、姑爷	女婿	daughter's husband	岳父 / 岳母
孙子	Grandson	孙子、大孙子	孙、孙子	son's son	爷爷 / 奶奶
孙女	Granddaughter	孙女	孙女	son's daughter	爷爷 / 奶奶
外孙	Grandson	外孙	外孙	daughter's son	外公 / 外婆
外孙女	Granddaughter	外孙女	外孙女	daughter's daughter	外公 / 外婆

FAQ · Chinese kinship terms

What do I call my father’s sister, and her husband?

She is 姑妈 (gūmā), usually 姑姑 (gūgu) in speech; northern China prefers 姑姑 / 姑妈, the south (Cantonese areas) 姑姐 / 阿姑. Her husband is 姑父, also 姑丈 in the south. English uses just Aunt / Uncle.

Mother’s brother vs father’s brother: what’s the difference?

Father’s elder brother is 伯父 (大伯), younger brother 叔叔; mother’s brothers are all 舅舅 regardless of age, with spouses 伯母 / 婶婶 / 舅妈. 堂 cousins come from father’s brothers, 表 cousins from mother’s siblings or father’s sisters.

How do northern and southern terms differ?

The classic example is mother’s parents: 姥爷 / 姥姥 in the north, 外公 / 外婆 in the south. Father’s sister is 姑姑 up north but 姑姐 / 阿姑 in parts of the south; 伯父 becomes 阿伯 and 嫂子 becomes 阿嫂. Dialects vary even more; we list the most common usages.

Does my gender change the answer?

It changes what they call you: a boy is 侄子 / 外甥 / 孙子, a girl 侄女 / 外甥女 / 孙女. Spouse and in-laws also differ (husband/wife, parents-in-law). Switch gender in settings to see the matching result.

What are these relatives called in English?

English usually ignores lineage and seniority: 伯父, 叔叔, 舅舅, 姑父 and 姨父 are all Uncle; 姑姑, 姨妈, 伯母 and 婶婶 are all Aunt; 堂/表 siblings are all Cousin. Add paternal / maternal or elder / younger when needed, or use first names; in-laws take -in-law.

Can it handle complicated relation chains?

Yes. Chains of up to 6 steps are supported — e.g. “father → sister → husband” gives 姑父. You can also search a term directly or type a phrase like “father’s younger sister”.

See the 18-generation table (nine up / nine down, nine clans, five mourning grades).

Back to the calculator: set gender, region and context, build a chain or search a term, then flip the card to see what they call you.