If you thought there were a lot of words for aunt and uncle in Chinese, wait ‘til you see the list for cousin! Thankfully, there is a clear pattern to these terms, so they aren’t too hard to memorize. Below are the terms that are usually used in Taiwan. There are quite a few different words for aunt and uncle, depending on which side of the family they are from and whether they are the younger or older sibling. In comparison, their son’s children would be called 孫子 (sūnzi) and 孫女 (sūnnǚ). So, for their daughter’s children, they would call their grandson 外孫 (wàisūn) and their granddaughter 外孫女 (wàisūnnǚ). Grandparents also address their daughter’s children according to this naming system. Notice that the Chinese terms for maternal grandparents both start with the character 外 (wài), meaning “outside.” In Chinese culture, the family unit is traditionally based around the father and his surname, so the mother’s relatives are considered to be “outside” of the family. Or: 阿公 āgōng (from the Taiwanese language)
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This is where things get tricky! Let’s start by going up a level on the family tree and looking at how to address grandparents. Extended Family Members or Relatives in Chineseīeyond your immediate family, you also have relatives, or 親戚 (qīnqì). You can also combine these words and say 爸媽 (bàmā) as a casual way to say parents, rather than saying 父母 (fùmǔ). Most children call their dad 爸爸 (bàba) or, even more casually, 爸 (bà), and call their mom 媽媽 (māma) or simply 媽 (mā).
Just like in English, father (父親 fùmǔ) and mother (母親 mǔqīn) are more formal words.
These people are who you would usually call your family, or 家人 (jiārén). Let’s start with the basics: your immediate family members. Taiwanese people tend to be close with their families Immediate Family Members in Chinese In addition, some of these family titles are also used as polite or friendly ways to address people who aren’t related to you. While memorizing all these different terms can be a bit of a headache, they’ll come in handy if you need to introduce your family members to friends, or even more so if you marry into a Taiwanese family. For example, Chinese has eight different words for cousins, depending on the gender of that person, whether they are on your mother’s side or your father’s side of your family, and whether they are older or younger than you. The cultural importance of family is reflected in the language, with each family member having a very specific title. Unfortunately, the names for family members aren’t quite as simple as they are in English. For instance, when I see my husband’s dad’s brother, I nod and say, “叔叔” (shúshu - uncle). Instead, you should greet them by saying who they are in relation to you. In North America, we’re used to calling most of our relatives by their first names, but that would be seen as rude in Taiwan, especially when it comes to greeting older relatives. If you take good care of your parents and grandparents, people might say “你很孝順" (nǐ hěn xiàoshùn – you are very filial).īesides taking care of their elders, a major way that people express respect is by addressing relatives by their proper titles. A word that is often used in Mandarin Chinese here is 孝順 (xiàoshùn), which translates to “filial piety.” This word refers to a respect for one’s parents and elders, and is the most fundamental Confucian value. Likewise, young people are expected to respect their elders and help take care of them as they age. Parents often continue to help their sons financially into adulthood and even become the main caregivers for grandchildren while parents are at work. Traditionally, women move into their husband’s family home and live with his parents. Three-generation households are still fairly common in Taiwan, which keeps family members especially close and allows them to lean on one another for support. Taiwanese people tend to be close with their families and are often willing to go above and beyond to help out a family member in need. As someone who married into a Taiwanese family, I speak from experience when I tell you that there is nothing more important than family here.
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