mǔ qīn
Chinese Definition
| mother | |
| 1. 名词. 母亲，妈妈 | |
| 2. 名词. （对女修道院院长的尊称） | |
| 3. 名词. (喻)源泉，发源地，起源 | |
| 4. 动词. (及物動詞) 当作母亲；养育 | |
| 5. 名词. 最大的，最伟大的，最显著的 | |
| Components | |
| 母 | |
| 1. mother | |
| 2. female (animal) | |
| 母牛 — cow | |
| 亲 | |
| 1. spicy; hot; pungent | |
| 2. relatives | |
| 辛辣 — spicy | |
| 3. parents | |
| 4. hard; laborious; toilsome | |
| 5. marriage | |
| 辛苦 — laborious | |
| 6. bride | |
| 7. suffering; hardship; misery | |
| 8. related by blood; blood (brothers, sisters) | |
| 辛酸 — bitter | |
| 9. close friend | |
| 10. The eighth of the ten heavenly stems. | |
| 11. close, intimate | |
| 12. (in a list) eighth; number 8; VIII | |
| 13. to fraternise with; pro- | |
| 14. (organic chemistry) octa- | |
| 15. personally; with one’s own (body part) | |
| 16. to kiss | |
| 17. (Internet, customer service) dear sir or madam | |
| 18. Only used in 親家 (one’s child’s parents-in-law) |
Translations for 亲 and their definitions
| 母 | |
| 1. mother | |
| 2. female (animal) | |
| 母牛 — cow |
| 媽媽 | |
| 1. n. (Cantonese, Min Bei) paternal grandmother | |
| 2. n. (informal) mum (mom); mama | |
| 遵守 媽媽ma 的 叮嚀 — to follow mum’s advice |
| 妈妈 | |
| 1. n. (informal) mum (mom); mama | |
| 遵守 媽媽ma 的 叮嚀 — to follow mum’s advice |
| 娘 | |
| 1. woman, especially a young girl | |
| 姑娘niang — girl | |
| 2. (colloquial) mother; ma | |
| 3. wife of another person | |
| 4. elderly lady | |
| 5. (religion) The Lady, an epithet of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu (tr=-). |
| 媽 | |
| 1. mom; mum: an affectionate term for a mother | |
| 2. (usually with qualifier) other older female relatives or house-servants | |
| 3. (religion) The Mother, an epithet of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu (tr=-). |
| 妈 | |
| 1. mom; mum: an affectionate term for a mother | |
| 2. (usually with qualifier) other older female relatives or house-servants | |
| 3. (religion) The Mother, an epithet of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu (tr=-). |
Pronunciation
mǔ qīn
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Mother’s Day is approaching. Mother, the most important character in a household, a child can’t live without. On this special day, let’s learn how to say Happy Mother’s Day, and other must-know related vocabulary in Mandarin Chinese.
Do you know when Mother’s Day is? Many countries celebrate this day on the second Sunday of May, while some countries have different days. Some countries celebrate “international Women’s Day, 国际妇女节 guójì fùnǚ jié” instead, or celebrate both of them on the same day.
In both China and Taiwan, Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May.
How do you say mother in Chinese?
Most of you may know how to say “mom” in Chinese, which is 妈妈/媽媽 māma. But we do use another word for “mother” in Chinese, which is 母亲/母親 mǔqīn. 母亲 mǔqīn is the formal way to say mother in Chinese. 母 mǔ means female.
Mother’s Day Vocabulary
妈妈/媽媽 māma, mom, mama, mother
I found this interesting, in many languages around the world, we all have a similar way to call a mother! In Chinese, we say “妈妈/媽媽 māma.”
In the most of the textbooks, they usually simply introduce mother as “妈妈/媽媽 māma.” But the funny thing is, you rarely hear anyone really call their mom “māma.” You may hear some say “妈/媽 mā,” while some saying as second tone, like “má~~~.” Little kids may call their mom “mǎmá” (third and second tone.) But no matter what that may be, they all still have the same pinyin “ma.”
母亲/母親 mǔqīn, mother
This is a formal way to call a mother. We rarely call our mom as “母亲/母親 mǔqīn” nowadays. But you can still find the term in the written form and other formal settings.
母亲节快乐/母親節快樂 mǔqīn jié kuàilè, Happy Mother’s Day
When we say happy Mother’s Day, we use “母亲/母親 mǔqīn.” We don’t say 妈妈节快乐/媽媽節快樂 Māmā jié kuàilè. When wishing someone happy Mother’s Day, we say 母亲节快乐/母親節快樂 mǔqīn jié kuàilè.
孩子 háizi, 小孩 xiǎohái, child, children
This phrase is often used in formal settings, like in books, documents etc…
When you like to introduce how many kids you have, we usually use the phrase “小孩 xiǎohái” which literally means little child, little kid.
I have three kids.
我有三个小孩。
Wǒ yǒusān gè xiǎohái.
If you want to be specific, here are the words for sons and daughters:
儿子/兒子 érzi, son
女儿/女兒 nǚ ér, daughter
So, you can say
I have three kids. One son and two daughters.
我有三个小孩。一个儿子，两个女儿。
Wǒ yǒusān gè xiǎohái. Yīgè er zi, liǎng gè nǚ’ér.
Or you can also use these two words to describe gender
男生 nánshēng, boy
女生 nǚshēng, girl
Example:
I have three kids. One boy, two girls.
我有三个小孩。一个男生，两个女生。
Wǒ yǒusān gè xiǎohái. Yīgè nánshēng, liǎng gè nǚshēng.
礼物/禮物 lǐwù, present, gift
I personally don’t really care if I receive gifts on this day (or any day, lol). Since many people may do so to express their love for the moms, it’s good to learn this vocabulary.
The phrase for giving a gift is 送礼物 sòng lǐwù.
- 花 huā, flower
- 巧克力 qiǎokèlì, chocolate
Flowers and chocolates are probably the most common gifts! Try to pronounce chocolate in Chinese! “巧克力 qiǎokèlì,” did you find them similar? Chocolate did not origin from Chinese culture, that’s why we took the sound and named it as such.
Below are the sentences we can say to our mother (at least on this day) at any time of the year.
我爱您！/ 我愛您！wǒ ài nín! I love you!
In many of our culture posts, we talk about this word “您 nín, you” which is a polite and honorable way to say “你 or 妳 nǐ, you.” Your parents are definitely one of the people you respect. Therefore, we say 我爱您. However, there is nothing wrong to simply say 妈妈，我爱你 nowadays.
辛苦了！xīnkǔle! Thank you for the hard work!
I can’t really find an equivalent phrase for this. The phrase 辛苦 is used to describe someone who has given their hard work, it could be labor work, time consuming work etc… For instance, a manager could tell an employee after he finishes a challenging project, “辛苦了！xīnkǔle! ”
A mother is usually the one spending her time for her family, raising children, making meals, taking care of house work, and for some mothers, even working at the same time. No matter what kind, they usually work hard to keep their family safe, happy, and satisfied. So, not only on this day, but whenever you get the chance, tell your mom: 辛苦了！xīnkǔle!
谢谢您！ / 謝謝您！Xièxiè nín! Thank you!
Don’t be shy to express your gratitude!
We often say:
Mom, thank you! Thank you for your hard work!
妈妈，谢谢您！辛苦了！
Māmā, xièxiè nín! Xīnkǔle!
As I grew up in Taiwan and moved to the US a while ago, I definitely can tell how different cultures form people to express their love. Most Chinese or in Asian culture, we are too shy to express our love verbally and even with obvious actions, like hugs and kisses. I am learning to express my love toward my family since you never know if you will have another chance.
- 抱 bào, hug
- 亲 / 親 qīn, kiss
美丽 / 美麗 měilì, beautiful
There are two words that we often use to describe a female, 漂亮 pretty and 美麗 beautiful. While 漂亮 pretty focus on the outward appearance, 美麗 beautiful can be used for someone who is good looking, or/and beautiful on the inside.
Not all moms are good looking, but most of them have a very beautiful inner personality. They are willing to sacrifice their time, sleep, money, even themselves, to take care of their family.
照顾 / 照顧 zhàogù, to take care of…
In many families, mothers are often the one taking care of the whole family, in the sense of making meals, doing chores, and other physical needs. This phrase can also be used to describe someone taking care of animals and plants.
The sentence will look like “subject + 照顾 + object.”
The subject is the caregiver, and the object is the one that receives care. For instance,
Mom, thank you for taking care of us.
妈妈，谢谢妳照顾我们。
Māmā, xièxiè nǎi zhàogù wǒmen.
Mother’s Day Vocabulary Infographic
The Songs You Can Sing to Mom
- This one is a classic. The song was made by a poem, is called 遊子吟 (Yóuzǐ Yín), ‘Song of the Wanderer’, by the Tang Dynasty Chinese poet 孟郊 (Mèng Jiāo)
The lyric talks about a mom sewing clothes for her child who is departing home soon. Even though nowadays the scene is harder to see, people rarely wear hand-sewed clothes, this song is still well-known in Chinese culture whenever we think about mothers.
- Another song is also well-known in recent years and is made by Jay Chou, the song is called “Listen to Mom.” Here are the music video and lyric:
小朋友你是否有很多问号
为什么 别人在那看漫画
我却在学画画 对着钢琴说话
别人在玩游戏 我却靠在墙壁背我的ABC
我说我要一台大大的飞机
但却得到一台旧旧录音机
为什么要听妈妈的话
长大后你就会开始懂了这段话
长大后我开始明白
为什么我跑得比别人快 飞得比别人高
将来大家看的都是我画的漫画
大家唱的都是我写的歌
妈妈的辛苦不让你看见
温暖的食谱在她心里面
有空就多多握握她的手
把手牵着一起梦游
听妈妈的话 别让她受伤
想快快长大 才能保护她
美丽的白发 幸福中发芽
天使的魔法 温暖中慈祥
在你的未来 音乐是你的王牌
拿王牌谈个恋爱
唉 我不想把你教坏
还是听妈妈的话吧 晚点再恋爱吧
我知道你未来的路 但妈比我更清楚
你会开始学其他同学在书包写东写西
但我建议最好写妈妈我会用功读书
用功读书 怎么会从我嘴巴说出
不想你输 所以要叫你用功读书
妈妈织给你的毛衣 你要好好的收着
因为母亲节到时 我要告诉她我还留着
对了 我会遇到周润发
所以你可以跟同学炫耀赌神未来是你爸爸
我找不到童年写的情书
你写完不要送人
因为过两天你会在操场上捡到
你会开始喜欢上流行歌
因为张学友开始准备唱吻别
听妈妈的话 别让她受伤
想快快长大 才能保护她
美丽的白发 幸福中发芽
天使的魔法 温暖中慈祥
听妈妈的话 别让她受伤
想快快长大 才能保护她
长大后我开始明白
为什么我跑得比别人快 飞得比别人高
将来大家看的都是我画的漫画
大家唱的都是我写的歌
妈妈的辛苦不让你看见
温暖的食谱在她心里面
有空就多多握握她的手
把手牵着一起梦游
听妈妈的话 别让她受伤
想快快长大 才能保护她
美丽的白发 幸福中发芽
天使的魔法 温暖中慈祥
Little children, do you have a lot of questions?
Why, when others were reading manga
I was learning to draw and play the piano?
While the others were playing games, I was leaning on the wall, learning my ABCs?
I said that I wanted a huge airplane,
But I got an old, used recorder1 instead
Why should you listen to your mother’s words?
When you are grown up, you will begin to understand
When I grew up, I started to realize
Why I ran faster and flew higher than others
In the future, the manga that everyone reads will all be drawn by me,
And the songs they all sing will all be written by me
You can’t see your mother’s work
There are warm recipes in her heart,
When you have time, hold her hand
And holding hands. dream together.
Listen to your mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt
You want to grow up fast, so you will be able to take care of her
Beautiful white hair grows in happiness
The magic of an angel, warmth in kindness
In your future, music will be your secret weapon
Use it to find love, oh, I don’t want to teach you poorly
So listen to your mom’s words for now, be in love later
I know your future path, but your mother can see it more clearly than I
You will start to imitate your classmates and write things on your backpack
But I suggest you write: “Mom, I will study hard”
Study hard, why do I say this?
I don’t want you to lose, so I must tell you to study hard
The sweater your mother gave you, you must keep it well
Because on Mother’s Day, I want to tell her that I still have it
Yes, I’m going to run into Zhou Runfa 2
So you can dazzle your classmates, the God of Gambling 3 will be your father
I can’t find the love letter I wrote in my childhood, don’t give it away after you’ve written it
Because two days later you will find it on the playground
You will start to like pop music
Because Jacky Cheung is about to sing “Kiss Goodbye”
Listen to your mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt
You want to grow up fast, so you will be able to take care of her
Beautiful white hair grows in happiness
The magic of an angel, warmth in kindness
Listen to your mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt
You want to grow up fast, so you will be able to take care of her
When I grew up, I started to realize
Why I ran faster and flew higher than others
In the future, the manga that everyone reads will all be drawn by me,
And the songs they all sing will all be written by me
You can’t see your mother’s work
There are warm recipes in her heart,
When you have time, hold her hand
And holding hands. dream together.
Listen to your mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt
You want to grow up fast, so you will be able to take care of her
Beautiful white hair grows in happiness
The magic of an angel, warmth in kindness
https://lyricstranslate.com
- 1. Refers to a machine that records sounds, not the musical instrument
- 2. Chow Yun-fat, Chinese actor
- 3. From a Hong Kong film starring Chow Yun-Fat
Other Holiday Infographics
- 13 Traditional Chinese New Year Activities
- 10 Major Traditional Chinese Holidays
- Mid-Autumn Festival
- Dragon Boat Festival
- How to Say Halloween in Chinese
- Valentine’s Day – Related Vocabulary
- Thanksgiving Vocabulary
When is Mother’s Day in your country? And how do you celebrate it? Share with us!
Phonetic script (Hanyu Pinyin)
māma
Listen to pronunciation
(Mandarin = standard Chinese without accent)
You cannot listen to the pronunciation of mama because your browser does not support the audio element.
You’re listening to the natural voice of a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese.
English translations
mother,
mom, mama
Chinese characters:
For obtaining stroke order animations, visit the links to the individual characters below.
妈妈 ( mama / māma ) is composed of these characters:
妈 (ma)
, 妈 (ma)
妈妈 ( mama / māma ) in traditional characters
媽媽
Tags and additional information
(Meaning of individual characters, character components etc.)
female | mother
妈妈 ( mama / māma ) belongs to the 50 most common composed words in Chinese language (rank 17)
More words that mean mother in Chinese
mā ( 妈 ), mŭ ( 母 ), mŭqīn ( 母亲 ), niáng ( 娘 )
Report missing or erroneous translation of mama in English
Contact us! We always appreciate good suggestions and helpful criticism.
Posted by Lilian Li
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In China, to address correctly each family member takes years of practice (joking!). But for the little kids and new family members, it does seem more difficult to say the correct title in Chinese for the entitle family members and relatives than in English-speaking countries. In this article, you are going to learn what to call your family members or relatives in Chinese!
Let’s start with the basics!
1. Parents
爸爸 bàba, Dad
妈妈 māma, Mom
2. Siblings
哥哥 gēge, older brother
弟弟 dìdi, younger brother
姐姐 jiějie, older sister
妹妹 mèimei, younger sister
3. Grandparents
Paternal side
爷爷 yéye, grandpa (father’s father)
奶奶 nǎinai, grandma (father’s mother)
Maternal side
外公 wàigōng, grandpa (mother’s father)
外婆 wàipó, grandma (mother’s mother)
4. Aunts & Uncles
Maternal uncle and his wife
舅舅 jiùjiu, uncle (mother’s brother)
舅妈 jiùmā, aunt (wife of mother’s brother)
Paternal uncle (father’s younger brother)and his wife
叔叔 shūshu, uncle (father’s younger brother)
婶婶 shěnshen, aunt (wife of father’s younger brother)
Paternal uncle and his wife
大伯 dàbó uncle (father’s older brother)
伯母 bómǔ aunt (wife of father’s older brother)
paternal aunts (father’s sisters) and their husbands
姑姑 gūgū, aunt (father’s sister)
姑父 gūfu, uncle (husband of father’s sister)
Father’s sisters (from the eldest to the youngest)
大姑 dàgū
二姑 èrgū
小姑 xiǎogū
Maternal Aunts (mother’s older or younger sisters)
姨妈 yímā
Mother’s sisters (eldest-youngest)
大姨，二姨，小姨 dàyí, èryí, xiǎoyí
姨姥姥 yílǎolao
Maternal Great-Aunt (mother’s mother’s younger or older sister)
5. Brothers and Sisters-in-Law
Brother and sister-in-law (Husband’s younger brother) and his wife
小叔子，弟妹 xiǎoshūzi，dìmèi
Brother and sister-in-law (Husband’s older brother) and his wife
大伯，嫂子dàbó，sǎozi
Video Tutorial How to Remember the Titles of Chinese Family Members?
It is really complicated, isn’t it? Let’s our teachers help you!
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Almost everyone holds a special place in their heart for families. A family is those you’re bound with from birth, the ones who will always be there for you unconditionally. When we first meet someone, we like to be familiar with their family background. Knowing this provides valuable information on that person’s upbringing, which could shape their personality dramatically. Thus, it’s important to learn how to talk about your family in Chinese.
In China, family has great importance. 孝顺 (xiào shùn), which means being responsible and obedient to parents, is one of the best qualities a person can have. While reading this article, keep in mind that the Chinese view of parent-child relationships differs in some ways from that of Western countries.
Now let’s get right into today’s adventure!
Table of Contents
- Family Perceptions in China
- Family Member Terms and Other Basics
- Terms for Relatives
- Family Member Terms as a Married Person
- Endearment Terms
- Bonus – Interesting Expressions about Family Members
- Conclusion: How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Master Family Terms
1. Family Perceptions in China
The family institution in China is incredibly strong. China highly values family bonds, particularly parent-child relationships. When it comes to family in the Chinese culture, there are even traditions that say children should never travel far, and should always stay with their parents.
Even now, many men still live with their parents even after their marriage. In this case, the woman will have to move to the man’s house and live with his parents. This sometimes creates an unpleasant relationship between the wife and her mother-in-law, which is a situation you can see used as a stereotype in a wide variety of Chinese shows.
There are many different ways to name family members depending on your relationship to them. Age difference is the main factor in determining what to call a family member, since Chinese people heavily emphasize that youngsters should respect their elders.
One thing to keep in mind: Unlike in Western culture, it’s not respectful to directly call elders by their names. This matter will be introduced more thoroughly later in this article.
2. Family Member Terms and Other Basics
Here are some Chinese words for family members to expand your family in Chinese vocabulary! With just these basic words and phrases, you have a great place to start a simple conversation about family.
- In Chinese: 家人
Pinyin: jiā rén
In English: familyIn Chinese: 我的家庭很幸福。
Pinyin: Wǒ de jiā tíng hěn xìng fú.
In English: I have a happy family.In Chinese: 我是在单亲家庭中长大的。
Pinyin: Wǒ shì zài dān qīn jiā tíng zhōng zhǎng dà de.
In English: I grew up in a single-parent family. - In Chinese: 母亲
Pinyin: mǔ qīn
In English: mother - In Chinese: 父亲
Pinyin: fù qīn
In English: father - In Chinese: 妈妈
Pinyin: mā ma
In English: mom - In Chinese: 爸爸
Pinyin: bà ba
In English: dad - In Chinese: 姐姐 / 妹妹
Pinyin: jiě jie / mèi mei
In English: (older) sister / (younger) sisterIn Chinese: 我有个[姐姐].
Pinyin: Wǒ yǒu gè [jiě jie].
In English: I have a(n) [older sister]. - In Chinese: 哥哥/弟弟
Pinyin: gē ge /dì di
In English: (older) brother / (younger) brother - In Chinese: 兄弟姐妹
Pinyin: xiōng dì jiě mèi
In English: sibling
Fun fact: The interesting thing about siblings in Chinese is that older and younger siblings have different terms, whereas English does not.
- In Chinese: 姥爷 / 爷爷 / 祖父
Pinyin: lǎo yé / yé ye / zǔ fù
In English: (mother’s side) grandfather / (father’s side) grandfather / grandfather - In Chinese: 姥姥 / 奶奶 / 祖母
Pinyin: lǎo lao / nǎi nai / zǔ mǔ
In English: (mother’s side) grandmother / (father’s side) grandmother / grandmother - In Chinese: 父母 / 家长
Pinyin: fù mǔ / jiā zhǎng
In English: parents
Fun fact: The literal meaning of 家长 is the family’s leader.
- In Chinese: 祖父母
Pinyin: zǔ fù mǔ
In English: grandparents - In Chinese: 曾祖母
Pinyin: zēng zǔ mǔ
In English: great grandmother - In Chinese: 曾祖父
Pinyin: zēng zǔ fù
In English: great grandfather
3. Terms for Relatives
Who can say having a big family isn’t fun?
Now, let’s work our way around the Chinese family tree, so that you’ll never struggle to find the right word for a family member!
- In Chinese: 亲戚/亲属
Pinyin: qīn qi / qīn shǔ
In English: relative
Fun fact: There’s a fun Chinese term called 走亲戚 (zǒu qīn qi), which literally means “walk through relatives.” This is a tradition that Chinese people normally have during Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Spring Festival. It’s a holiday where families spend time together and catch up, just like Christmas in Western cultures. If some families can’t make the reunion, you’ll need to 走亲戚, to visit them at their place and spend some quality time. This shows that the Chinese extended family is just as important as the Chinese immediate family.
- In Chinese: 叔叔
Pinyin: shū shu
In English: uncle - In Chinese: 阿姨
Pinyin: ā yí
In English: aunt
Fun fact: In English, youngsters can usually call their elders who have no relations Mr. or Ms. and such, and sometimes if an elder is close enough, they can even directly call them by their names. This is quite different in China.
The young generation have to call adults who are older a certain term depending on the age difference. Usually, you can call people who are ten to twenty years older “aunt” (阿姨) or “uncle” (叔叔). For people who are at a similar age as your grandparents, you’re required to call them “grandmother” (奶奶) or “grandfather” (爷爷).
- In Chinese: 堂兄弟姐妹/表兄弟姐妹
Pinyin: táng xiōng dì jiě mèi /biǎo xiōng dì jiě mèi
In English: cousin
Fun fact: Since “cousin” in Chinese is a relatively long word, Chinese people usually don’t use the word “cousin.” Instead, they’ll use the terms that can show the direct relation. There are eight different terms under the category “cousin,” including: 堂兄 (táng xiōng) [male, father’s side, older], 堂弟 (táng dì) [male, father’s side, younger], 堂姐 (táng jiě) [female, father’s side, older], 堂妹 (táng mèi) [female, father’s side, younger], 表兄 (biǎo xiōng) [male, mother’s side, older], 表弟 (biǎo dì) [male, mother’s side, younger], 表姐 (biǎo jiě) [female, mother’s side, older], 表妹 (biǎo mèi) [female, mother’s side, younger].
- In Chinese: 外甥女 / 侄女
Pinyin: wài shēng nǚ / zhí nǚ
In English: niece - In Chinese: 侄子 / 外甥
Pinyin: zhí zi / wài shēng
In English: nephew
4. Family Member Terms as a Married Person
Once you’ve married in Chinese culture, you’ve gained several new Chinese family members. Here’s what to call them all!
- In Chinese: 妻子
Pinyin: qī zǐ
In English: wife - In Chinese: 丈夫 / 先生
Pinyin: zhàng fū / xiān shēng
In English: husband
I believe we all want a happy family!
- In Chinese: 女儿
Pinyin: nǚ ér
In English: daughter - In Chinese: 儿子
Pinyin: ér zi
In English: son - In Chinese: 姐夫 / 妹夫
Pinyin: jiě fū / mèi fū
In English: brother-in-law - In Chinese: 嫂子 / 弟妹
Pinyin: sǎo zi / dì mèi
In English: (older brother’s side) sister-in-law / (younger brother’s side) sister-in-law - In Chinese: 婆婆 / 岳母
Pinyin: pó po / yuè mǔ
In English: mother-in-law (husband’s mother) / mother-in-law (wife’s mother) - In Chinese: 公公 / 岳父
Pinyin: gōng gong / yuè fù
In English: father-in-law (husband’s father) / father-in-law (wife’s father)
Fun fact: In Chinese culture, if you’re on good terms with your father-in-law and mother-in-law, and you feel comfortable, it will be good to call them “mom” or “dad,” just like your wife/husband does. This shows that you see them as your own mother or father. However, in many cases, it can be difficult to get along with your father-in-law or mother-in-law.
5. Endearment Terms
Let’s use more endearment terms to call the ones you love!
- In Chinese: 爹地 / 爸爸 / 老爸
Pinyin: diē dì / bà ba / lǎo bà
In English: daddy - In Chinese: 妈咪 / 妈妈 / 老妈
Pinyin: mā mī / mā ma / lǎo mā
In English: mommy - In Chinese: 老哥 / 老弟
Pinyin: lǎo gē / lǎo dì
In English: (older) brother / (younger) brother - In Chinese: 老姐 / 老妹
Pinyin: lǎo jiě / lǎo mèi
In English: (older) sister / (younger) sister - In Chinese: 老婆 / 媳妇
Pinyin: lǎo pó / xí fù
In English: wife - In Chinese: 老公
Pinyin: lǎo gōng
In English: husband
Fun fact: 老 means “old” in Chinese, which is a very common thing to call someone who is close to you in Chinese. If you notice, lots of the nicknames mentioned above begin with a 老. In this case, 婆 and 公 each means “old women” and “old men.” By calling your other half this, it shows your commitment that you want to grow old with each other.
- In Chinese: 亲爱的
Pinyin: qīn ài de
In English: dear - In Chinese: 宝贝
Pinyin: bǎo bèi
In English: baby - In Chinese: 闺女
Pinyin: guī nǚ
In English: daughter
6. Bonus – Interesting Expressions about Family Members
- In Chinese: 虎毒不食子。
Pinyin: Hǔ dú bú shí zǐ.
In English: Even a vicious tiger won’t eat its own son.
Actual meaning: Parents will always treat their own children kindly, no matter how evil their nature is. - In Chinese: 有其父必有其子。
Pinyin: Yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zǐ.
In English: Like father, like son.
Actual meaning: A son’s character is very likely to resemble his father’s. - In Chinese: 不听老人言，吃亏在眼前。
Pinyin: Bù tīng lǎo rén yán, chī kuī zài yǎn qián.
In English: If you don’t listen to elders’ advice, you will learn your lesson.
7. Conclusion: How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Master Family Terms
I hope you’re now more fascinated with the unique Chinese culture after reading this article about Chinese family. Continue to binge on learning the most native and entertaining Chinese lessons at ChineseClass101.com; here, Chinese is no longer an excruciating language that’s hard to master. It’s a paradise where you can enjoy yourself even while studying!
Before you go, let us know in the comments how confident you feel naming your family members in Chinese now! And tell us common sayings or idioms about family in your own language while you’re at it! 😉 We look forward to hearing from you!