Family in Chinese
The Chinese word for "family" is 家庭 (jiā tíng). Below are 65 Chinese words for family, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 1 to HSK 6, in the order a learner meets them.
Chinese has separate words for older and younger siblings and for each side of the family, so "brother" is either 哥哥 (older) or 弟弟 (younger).
The 14 words to learn first
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 爸爸 | bà ba | dad; father | 1 |
| 妈妈 | mā ma | mom; mother | 1 |
| 父母 | fù mǔ | parents | 4 |
| 哥哥 | gē ge | older brother | 1 |
| 姐姐 | jiě jie | older sister | 1 |
| 弟弟 | dì di | younger brother | 1 |
| 妹妹 | mèi mei | younger sister | 1 |
| 爷爷 | yé ye | grandfather (father's father) | 2 |
| 奶奶 | nǎi nai | grandmother (father's mother) | 2 |
| 儿子 | ér zi | son | 1 |
| 女儿 | nǚ ér | daughter | 1 |
| 孩子 | hái zi | child | 1 |
| 丈夫 | zhàng fu | husband | 2 |
| 妻子 | qī zi | wife | 2 |
Family and People HSK 1 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朋友 | péng you | friend | 1 |
| 同学 | tóng xué | classmate | 1 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | 1 |
| 名字 | míng zi | name (of a person or thing) | 1 |
| 叫 | jiào | to be called; to call | 1 |
You All, They, Family HSK 1 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你们 | nǐ men | you (more than one person) | 1 |
| 他们 | tā men | they (men, or a mixed group) | 1 |
| 她们 | tā men | they (women only) | 1 |
| 它们 | tā men | they (animals and things) | 1 |
| 家人 | jiā rén | family; family members | 1 |
| 男朋友 | nán péng you | boyfriend | 1 |
| 女朋友 | nǚ péng you | girlfriend | 1 |
| 小朋友 | xiǎo péng you | child; kid | 1 |
Family Members HSK 2 lesson
Extended Family HSK 3 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 阿姨 | ā yí | maternal aunt | 3 |
| 叔叔 | shū shu | father's younger brother | 3 |
| 邻居 | lín jū | neighbor | 3 |
| 别人 | bié ren | other people; others; other person | 3 |
| 客人 | kè rén | visitor | 3 |
| 同事 | tóng shì | colleague; co-worker | 3 |
| 经理 | jīng lǐ | manager | 3 |
| 司机 | sī jī | chauffeur; driver | 3 |
| 校长 | xiào zhǎng | principal; headmaster | 3 |
Social relationships & family HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 亲戚 | qīn qi | relatives | 4 |
| 母亲 | mǔ qīn | mother (formal) | 4 |
| 父亲 | fù qīn | father (formal) | 4 |
| 孙子 | sūn zi | grandson | 4 |
| 儿童 | ér tóng | children (general) | 4 |
| 咱们 | zán men | we/us (inclusive) | 3 |
| 互相 | hù xiāng | mutually / each other | 4 |
| 陪 | péi | to accompany | 4 |
| 邀请 | yāo qǐng | to invite | 4 |
| 拒绝 | jù jué | to decline / refuse | 4 |
| 道歉 | dào qiàn | to apologize | 4 |
| 共同 | gòng tóng | together / jointly | 4 |
| 年龄 | nián líng | age | 4 |
| 吵 | chǎo | to quarrel / be noisy | 5 |
| 出生 | chū shēng | to be born | 3 |
| 留 | liú | to stay / remain | 4 |
| 性别 | xìng bié | gender / sex | 4 |
Family Relationships & Marriage HSK 5 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 姑姑 | gū gu | paternal aunt | 6 |
| 姑娘 | gū niang | girl | 4 |
| 家庭 | jiā tíng | family | 4 |
| 家务 | jiā wù | household duties | 5 |
| 嘉宾 | jiā bīn | esteemed guest | 5 |
| 嫁 | jià | (of a woman) to marry | 6 |
| 舅舅 | jiù jiu | mother's brother | 6 |
| 姥姥 | lǎo lao | (coll.) mother's mother | 5 |
| 离婚 | lí hūn | to divorce | 5 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
More topics:
- food
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- sports and hobbies
- nature and animals
- shopping and money
- directions
- greetings and everyday phrases
- pronouns
- measure words
- house and home
- everyday verbs
- personality
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- festivals and holidays
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- All topics
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "family" in Chinese?
家庭 (jiā tíng), meaning "family; household". The most common words in this topic are 爸爸 (bà ba, dad), 妈妈 (mā ma, mom), 父母 (fù mǔ, parents), 哥哥 (gē ge, older brother).
How many Chinese words for family do I need?
This page lists 65, from HSK 1 to HSK 6. The 14 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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