Family Words 家人
Learn essential Chinese family vocabulary with pronunciations and examples!
Vocabulary List
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 爸爸 | bàba | father |
| 妈妈 | māma | mother |
| 哥哥 | gēge | older brother |
| 姐姐 | jiějie | older sister |
| 弟弟 | dìdi | younger brother |
| 妹妹 | mèimei | younger sister |
| 爷爷 | yéye | paternal grandfather |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | paternal grandmother |
| 外公 | wàigōng | maternal grandfather |
| 外婆 | wàipó | maternal grandmother |
Example Sentences
- 我爸爸是医生。
Wǒ bàba shì yīshēng.
My dad is a doctor. - 我妈妈做饭很好吃。
Wǒ māma zuòfàn hěn hǎochī.
My mom cooks very well. - 我有一个哥哥和一个妹妹。
Wǒ yǒu yīgè gēge hé yīgè mèimei.
I have an older brother and a younger sister. - 爷爷和奶奶住在老家。
Yéye hé nǎinai zhù zài lǎojiā.
Grandfather and grandmother live in the hometown. - 外婆来做客。
Wàipó lái zuòkè.
Grandmother is visiting us.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, family is extremely important. Notice how Chinese distinguishes between paternal (爷爷/奶奶) and maternal (外公/外婆) grandparents - this reflects the traditional importance of the father's lineage.