家人 和 亲戚 Family and Relatives

(jia1ren2 he2 qin1qi4)

1．Husband and Wife

先生 (xian1sheng)，太太 (tai4tai) -- [Formal]
丈夫 (zhang4fu)，妻子 (qi1zi3) ----- [Formal]
老公 (lao3gong1)，老婆 (lao3po2) -- [Informal]


You can introduce your husband or wife to another person with any of the three versions, but you yourself won’t address your partner as 丈夫 or 妻子.

先生&太太 can also mean Mr and Mrs.

例(li4, eg.)：

那边 那 位 是 张 先生。
(na4bian1 na4 wei4 shi4 zhang1 xian1sheng，)
over-there that one is Zhang Mr。
That one over there is Mr Zhang.

他的 太太 姓 王，今天 也 来 了。
(ta1 de tai4tai xing4 wang2，jin1tian1 ye3 lai2 le。)
his wife is-surnamed Wang, (who) today also come ‘have-done’.
His wife has a surname of Wang, who has also come today.

位: formal quantity word for people.
Eg. 三 位 小姐(san1 wei4 xiao3jie3) three young ladies

2．Mum and Dad

In Chinese, we say ‘dad and mum’.

父亲 (fu4qin1)，母亲(mu3qin1) -- [Formal]
爸爸 (ba4ba)，妈妈 (ma1ma) --- [Less formal]

例(li4, eg.)：

我的 爸爸 妈妈 是 30 年 前 结婚 的。
(wo3de ba4ba ma1ma shi4 san1shi2 nian2 qian2 jie2hun1 de。)
my dad mum are 30 year(s) ago get-married ‘statement’.
My mum and dad got married 30 years ago.

3．Son and Daughter

儿子 (er2zi)，女儿 (nü3r)

孩子 (hai2zi) children

例(li4, eg.)：

这 对 夫妇 没有 孩子，
(zhe4 dui4 fu1fu4 mei2you3 hai2zi，)
this pair-of married-couple not-have child
This couple does not have (any) child,

所以 他们 收养 了 一 个 女儿。
(suo3yi3 ta1men shou1yang3 le yi2 ge4 nü3er)
so they adopt ‘have-done’ one ‘measure-word’daughter
so they have adopted a daughter.

4．Brothers and Sisters

兄弟 姐妹 (xiong1di4 jie3mei4)

哥哥 (ge1ge) older brother
弟弟 (di4di) young br0ther
姐姐 (jie3jie) older sister
妹妹 (mei4mei) younger sister

例(li4, eg.)：

我的 姐姐 比 我 大 五 岁，
(wo3de jie3jie bi3 wo3 da4 wu3 sui4，)
my older-sister compare me older five years-old，
My older sister is five years older than me,

但是 我的 个子 比 她 高。
(dan4shi4 wo3de ge4zi bi3 ta1 gao1。)
but my height compare her tall
but I am taller than her.



5． Grandpas and Grandmas

Father’s Parents:
祖父 (zu3fu4)，祖母 (zu3mu3) --- [Formal]
爷爷 (ye2ye)，奶奶 (nai3nai) ---- [Less formal]

Mother’s Parents:
外 祖父 (wai4zu3fu4)，外 祖母 (wai4zu3mu3) -- [Formal]
外公 (wai4gong1)，外婆 (wai4po2) ------------- [less formal]
姥爷 (lao3ye)， 姥姥 (lao3lao) ------------------ [less formal]

例(li4, eg.)：

我的 外公 退休 前 是 一 名 工程师。
(wo3de wai4gong1 tui4xiu1 qian2 shi4 yi4 ming2 gong1cheng2shi1。)
my mother’s-father retire before is one ‘measure-word’ engineer
My mother’s father was an engineer before he retired.

6．Grandsons and Granddaughters

Son’s children:
孙子 (sun1zi)，孙女 (sun1nü3)

Daughter’s children:
外 孙子 (wai4 sun1zi)，外 孙女 (wai4 sun1nü3)

例(li4, eg.)：

哥哥 是 爸爸 唯一的 儿子，
(ge1ge shi4 ba4ba wei2yi1de er2zi，)
oder-brother is dad the-only son,
(My) older brother is the only son of Dad,

也 是 奶奶 唯一的 孙子。
(ye3 shi4 nai3nai wei2yi1de shun1zi。)
also is father’s-mother the-only son’s-son
(and) also the only grandson of (my) dad’s mum (on her sons’/son’s side).

So, if grandma has other sons apart from dad, then none of them have any son (which would be grandma’s grandson). ;P confusing, I know.