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Family 21

Parents and children, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and husband and wife.

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Its words

Parents and children 8

  1. 家 jiā home; family
  2. 家人 jiā rén family (its people)
  3. 爸爸 bà ba dad
  4. 妈妈 mā ma mum
  5. 父母 fù mǔ parents
  6. 孩子 hái zi child
  7. 儿子 ér zi son
  8. 女儿 nǚ ér daughter

家jiā is both the place and the people: 我wǒ家jiā is my home, or my family. 我wǒ家jiā有yǒu四sì口kǒu人rén: there are four of us at home, counted in 口kǒu, mouths.

Brothers and sisters 4

  1. 哥哥 gē ge older brother
  2. 姐姐 jiě jie older sister
  3. 弟弟 dì di younger brother
  4. 妹妹 mèi mei younger sister

Chinese says whether a brother or a sister is older or younger: 哥哥gē ge and 姐姐jiě jie are older, 弟弟dì di and 妹妹mèi mei younger. 我wǒ有yǒu一个yī ge妹妹mèi mei我wǒ有yǒu一個yī ge妹妹mèi mei: I have a younger sister.

Grandparents 4

  1. 爷爷 yé ye grandpa (father's father)
  2. 奶奶 nǎi nai grandma (father's mother)
  3. 外公 wài gōng grandpa (mother's father)
  4. 外婆 wài pó grandma (mother's mother)

Your father's parents are 爷爷yé ye爺爺yé ye and 奶奶nǎi nai; your mother's are 外公wài gōng and 外婆wài pó, 外wài, outside, marking the mother's side. In the north many say 姥爷lǎo ye姥爺lǎo ye and 姥姥lǎo lao for them.

Husband and wife 5

  1. 丈夫 zhàng fu husband
  2. 妻子 qī zi wife
  3. 老公 lǎo gōng husband (as couples say)
  4. 老婆 lǎo pó wife (as couples say)
  5. 结婚 jié hūn to marry

丈夫zhàng fu and 妻子qī zi are the words for them; 老公lǎo gōng and 老婆lǎo pó are what husbands and wives call each other day to day.