Chinese Kinship Titles
By William Kiejan
Tong
Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.
This article was originally
written for Asian American Pacific Heritage month in 1995, for the benefit
of non-Asian audiences, to provide them a better understanding of the Chinese
kinship system. Many overseas Chinese may have grown up knowing some
of the kinship terms used for brothers, sisters, and grandparents.
But when it came to uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws, these words in
Chinese may have been more obscure because they were used less often due
to less frequent contact. I decided to systematically research all
of the formal titles for as many classifications of relatives (by blood
and by marriage) as I could, and phonetically translate them into three
dialects - Mandarin, Canton, and Toysan (my parents' native dialect), so
that I could learn them. The kinship chart is
at the bottom of this article. I would like to acknowledge the assistance
of my parents, friends, and colleagues to helped research this topic: Jerry
& Linda Tong, Cheng-Wen Tsai,
Dave Soong, Mike
Lin, and Janice Cheng.
Features of the Chinese Kinship
Classification System
An old Chinese proverb stated that "the ideal family
had five generations living under one roof." In old China, the patriarch
of a family which met this Confucian ideal was eligible to receive an official
letter of congratulations from the Emperor.
There are only about 100 common surnames ("last names")
for the more than 1 billion Chinese world wide. The distribution
of surnames is not equal. Among the most common Chinese surnames:
Chen (Chan, Chin), and Li (Lee)
In general, most Chinese having the same surname
are related in some way. There are historical exceptions. During
past times of civil unrest, persecution of entire families caused many
Chinese to assume a different surname - most commonly, a "big" surname,
which offered "safety in numbers."
Chinese communities, especially in rural areas, are
typically organized around relatives of the same surname, sometimes referred
to as "clan villages." A typical Chinese man spent most of his life
in and around his home village. A Chinese woman, once married, spent
the rest of her life in and around her husband's village. The networks
of supportive family relationships provided by the clan village were the
primary social anchors of Chinese life. In old age, Chinese could
look forward to positions of respect as village elders.
Among the Chinese, there are no general terms for
the English words brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt,
or cousin - there are only specific terms. As examples, the Chinese
title for "older brother" is different than that for "younger brother"
(similarly for sisters); your father's father (paternal grandfather) has
a different name than your mother's father (maternal grandfather); your
father's brother is a different "uncle" than your mother's brother.
Relatives by marriage (in-laws, spouses of your siblings) have their own
specific titles.
Chinese names typically have three parts: the
family name, the generational (common-sibling) name, and your own unique
name. For example:
-
In the male name, Mao Tse-Tung: Mao is the surname, Tse denotes the
generation of the this man (his brothers would share this in common),
and Tung is this man's unique name. This common-sibling name system
is also shared by sisters.
-
Each generation has its own unique name. There is no Chinese equivalent
of a "Junior," because father and son cannot have the same name.
-
In China, each family has a genealogy book with an elaborate family tree
that typically goes back at least several hundreds of years. (Only
male ancestors are listed, however.)
-
In the Chinese tradition, the names of new-born children are usually chosen
by their paternal grandfather.
-
When the first grandchild is one month old, the paternal grandparents throw
a big "first month" dinner party for the baby, and invite all the relatives.
The baby gets a haircut to symbolize the event.
The Chinese kinship system is patrilineal (traces ancestry
on the father's side). A father's primary duty was to bring up his
sons to preserve and improve on his life's accomplishments; a son's primary
duty was to honor his parents, provide for them (the eldest son's duty)
through their old age, and carry on the family name through sons of his
own. It was assumed that daughters would marry into their husbands'
families. Therefore, the father-son relationship was the foundation
of Chinese society. Confucius taught that a harmonious society was
achieved by recognizing one's proper role in all relationships with each
other, whether one was an emperor or a common citizen.
In China, an elaborate, formal kinship classification
system was developed thousands of years ago because it helped to distinguish
the exact specific relationships between the many close and distant relatives
living in the same village. In traditional China, it was necessary
to address one's relatives by the correct title with respect to the speaker.
Each year around the month of April, during a ceremony
known as "Ching Ming," the Chinese pay homage to their ancestors through
prayers and offerings of food and symbolic money at their graves and at
the family shrines set up in the village. Reciting the names of ten
generations of your direct ancestors was an old historic tradition in China.
Pronunciation Guide for
the Chinese Kinship Chart
The formal kinship chart was developed to display
nearly every possible permutation of family relationships. The written
Chinese has been translated into three dialects of Chinese - Mandarin,
Canton, and Toysan. There are a number of sounds used in Chinese
that have no counterpart in English. For the Mandarin dialect, the
Pinyin system was used to translate the written Chinese into phonetic English.
However, Pinyin spellings do not work for the other Chinese dialects, so
I have created a special phonetic system. Here is a partial guide
to the phonetic pronunciations in the Canton and Toysan dialects:
Syllables written in UPPER CASE are
accented or stressed. Example: DAI-gaw means "big brother" in Cantonese.
CH' is a guttural sound used in the Toysan dialect,
not a hard "CH" as in "choose."
Examples: CH'EO means "little" (pronounced
"SIU" in Cantonese)
NG' is pronounced as a single sound with a soft
"G" at the end. Example: NG'OY in Cantonese means "outsider"
and is used as a modifier to describe relatives by marriage.
A rhymes with "ah." Example:
"Da" in Mandarin means "big."
AI rhymes with "aye." Examples:
"Ai" means "big" in Toysan ("Dai" in Cantonese)
AO rhymes with "cow." Examples: "Shao"
means
"little" in Mandarin.
EO rhymes with "Leo," but is pronounced
as a single syllable. Example: "Beo" means a relative on the
mother's side.
EW rhymes with "few." Example:
"Kew" in Toysan means an uncle on the mother's side.
OO rhymes with "cook." Example: "Goong"
is the popular expression in Cantonse for maternal grandfather.
UI rhymes with "Louie," but is pronounced
as a single syllable. Example: "Mui" in Cantonese means "younger
sister."
Chart and phonetic spellings by: Bill Tong
Written Chinese by: Cheng-Wen Tsai, Dave Soong, Mike Lin &
Janice Cheng
Mandarin translation by: Chi Tang & Cheng-Wen Tsai
Canton and Toysan dialect translation by: Jerry & Linda
Tong
Chinese
Kinship Titles with Phonetic Translations into English |
Exact Relationship |
English terminology |
Written Chinese |
Mandarin Dialect |
Canton Dialect |
Toysan Dialect |
brothers & sisters |
siblings |
|
SHOONG-dee jeh-MAY |
hing-CHAI jee-MUI |
han-AI DAY-moy |
eldest brother |
oldest brother |
|
DA-ge |
DAI-gaw |
AI-gaw |
2nd eldest brother |
older brother |
|
ER-ge |
YEE-gaw |
NG'AY-gaw |
eldest sister |
oldest sister |
|
DA-jeh |
DAI-jeh |
AI-day |
myself |
myself (I) |
|
wau |
ng'aw |
ng'oy |
youngest sister |
youngest sister |
|
shao-MAY |
SIU-mui |
CH'EO-moy |
youngest brother |
youngest brother |
|
shao-DEE |
SIU-dai |
CH'EO-ai |
father & son |
father & son |
|
fu-TZE |
foo-JEE |
foo-DEE |
mother & daughter |
mother & daughter |
|
moo-NU |
mo-LOY |
MO-nui |
father & mother |
parents |
|
FOO-moo-chin |
foo-MO-chun |
FOO-mo-TEEN |
father |
father |
|
FOO-chin |
foo-CHUN |
foo-TEEN |
mother |
mother |
|
MOO-chin |
mo-CHUN |
mo-TEEN |
father's father |
paternal grandfather |
|
JOO-foo |
jo-FOO (yeh-yeh) |
DO-foo (yeh-yeh) |
father's mother |
paternal grandmother |
|
JOO-moo |
jo-MO (yan-yan) |
DO-mo (ng'een-ng'een) |
mother's father |
maternal grandfather |
|
wai-JOO-foo |
NG'OY-jo-FOO
(goong-goong) |
NG'OY-DO-foo
(gung-gung) |
mother's mother |
maternal grandmother |
|
wai-JOO-moo |
NG'OY-jo-MO (po-po) |
NG'OY-DO-mo (po-po) |
man & wife |
man & wife |
|
foo-chee |
foo-CHAI |
foo-TAI |
husband |
husband (formal & informal) |
|
JAHNG-foo (shien-sen) |
jeung-FOO
(lo-GOONG) |
JEUNG-foo (LAO-gung) |
wife |
wife (formal & informal) |
|
CHEE-tze
(tai-tai) |
CHAI-jee
(tai-TAI) |
TAI-dee
(tai-TAI) |
your children |
children |
|
HAI-tze |
hai-JEE |
hai-DEE |
your eldest son |
eldest son |
|
DA-er-tze |
DAI-yee-JEE |
AI-ng'ay-DEE |
your 2nd eldest son |
2nd eldest son |
|
ER-er-tze |
YEE-yee-JEE |
NG'AY-ng'ay-DEE |
your eldest daughter |
eldest daughter |
|
DA-nu-er |
DAI-loy-yee |
AI-nui-ng'ay |
your 2nd eldest daughter |
2nd eldest daughter |
|
ER-nu-er |
YEE-loy-yee |
NG'AY-nui-ng'ay |
children of your siblings |
nephews & nieces |
|
TZE-tze, TZE-nu |
CHUT-jee, CHUT-loy |
JEET-dee, JEET-nui |
your older brother's son |
nephew |
|
TZE-tze |
CHUT-jee |
JEET-dee |
your younger brother's son |
nephew |
|
TZE-tze |
CHUT-jee |
JEET-dee |
your older sister's son |
nephew |
|
WAI-sen |
NG'OY-sahng |
NG'OY-sahng |
your younger sister's son |
nephew |
|
WAI-sen |
NG'OY-sahng |
NG'OY-sahng |
your older brother's daughter |
niece |
|
TZE-nu |
CHUT-loy |
JEET-nui |
your younger brother's daughter |
niece |
|
TZE-nu |
CHUT-loy |
JEET-nui |
your older sister's daughter |
niece |
|
WAI-sen-nu |
NG'OY-sahng-loy |
NG'OY-sahng-nui |
your younger sister's daughter |
niece |
|
WAI-sen-nu |
NG'OY-sahng-loy |
NG'OY-sahng-nui |
immediate relatives |
close kin |
|
tze-SHEE-chin-soo |
jet-HAI-chun-sook |
jet-HAI-teen-sook |
father's eldest brother |
1st uncle |
|
DA-baw |
dai-BOK |
AI-bok |
father's 2nd eldest brother |
2nd uncle |
|
ER-baw |
yee-BOK |
NG'AY-bok |
father's eldest sister |
1st aunt |
|
DA-goo |
DAI-goo |
AI-goo |
father's 2nd eldest sister |
2nd aunt |
|
ER-goo |
yee-GOO |
NG'AY-goo |
father's youngest brother |
youngest uncle |
|
SHAO-soo |
SIU-sook |
CH'EO-sook |
father's youngest sister |
youngest aunt |
|
SHAO-goo |
SIU-goo |
CH'EO-goo |
mother's eldest brother |
1st uncle |
|
DA-jeo |
dai-KOW |
AI-kew |
mother's 2nd eldest brother |
2nd uncle |
|
ER-jeo |
yee-KOW |
NG'AY-kew |
mother's eldest sister |
1st aunt |
|
DA-yee |
DAI-yee |
AI-yee |
mother's 2nd eldest sister |
2nd aunt |
|
ER-yee |
YEE-yee |
NG'AY-yee |
mother's youngest brother |
youngest uncle |
|
SHAO-jeo |
SIU-kow |
CH'EO-kew |
mother's youngest sister |
youngest aunt |
|
SHAO-yee |
SIU-yee |
CH'EO-yee |
father's brother's children |
1st cousins (father's side) |
|
TAHNG-shoong |
tong-HING |
hong-HAN |
father's brother's son |
1st cousin [boy] on father's side (older/younger) |
|
TAHNG-ge
TAHNG-dee |
tong-gaw
tong-dai |
hong-GAW
hong-AI |
father's brother's daughter |
1st cousin [girl] on father's side (older/younger) |
|
TAHNG-jeh
TAHNG-may |
tong-JEH
tong-MUI |
hong-DAY
hong-MOY |
father's sister's children |
1st cousins (father's side) |
|
BEO-shoong |
BEW-hing |
BEO-han |
father's sister's son |
1st cousin [boy] on mother's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-ge
BEO-dee |
BEW-gaw
BEW-dai |
BEO-gaw
BEO-ai |
father's sister's daughter |
1st cousin [girl] on father's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-jeh
BEO-may |
BEW-jeh
BEW-mui |
BEO-day
BEO-moy |
mother's brother's children |
1st cousin (mother's side) |
|
BEO-shoong |
BEW-hing |
BEO-han |
mother's brother's son |
1st cousin [boy] on mother's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-ge
BEO-dee |
BEW-gaw
BEW-dai |
BEO-gaw
BEO-ai |
mother's brother's daughter |
1st cousin [girl] on mother's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-jeh
BEO-may |
BEW-jeh
BEW-mui |
BEO-day
BEO-moy |
mother's sister's children |
1st cousin (mother's side) |
|
BEO-shoong |
BEW-hing |
BEO-han |
mother's sister's son |
1st cousin [boy] on mother's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-ge
BEO-dee |
BEW-gaw
BEW-dai |
BEO-gaw
BEO-ai |
mother's sister's daughter |
1st cousin [girl] on mother's side (older/younger) |
|
BEO-jeh
BEO-may |
BEW-jeh
BEW-mui |
BEO-day
BEO-moy |
relatives by marriage |
relatives by marriage |
|
CHIN-chee |
chun-CHET |
teen-TAT |
husband of your oldest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
JEH-foo |
JEH-foo |
DAY-foo |
husband of your youngest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
MAY-foo |
MUI-foo |
MOY-foo |
brother (oldest) of your wife |
brother-in-law |
|
DA-jeo |
DAI-kow |
AI-kew |
brother (youngest) of your wife |
brother-in-law |
|
SHAO-jeo |
SIU-kow |
CH'EO-kew |
husband of your wife's oldest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
JEH-foo |
JEH-foo |
DAY-foo |
husband of your wife's youngest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
MAY-foo |
MUI-foo |
MOY-foo |
brother (oldest) of your husband |
brother-in-law |
|
DA-yeh |
DAI-yeh |
AI-yeh |
brother (youngest) of your husband |
brother-in-law |
|
SHAO-soo |
SIU-sook |
CH'EO-sook |
husband of your husband's oldest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
DA-goo-jahng |
DAI-goo-cheung |
AI-goo-jeung |
husband of your husband's youngest sister |
brother-in-law |
|
SHAO-goo-jahng |
SIU-goo-cheung |
CH'EO-goo-jeung |
wife of your oldest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
DA-sao |
DAI-sao |
AI-ch'ao |
wife of your youngest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
SHAO-sao |
SIU-sao |
CH'EO-ch'ao |
sister (oldest) of your wife |
sister-in-law |
|
DA-yee |
DAI-yee |
AI-yee |
sister (youngest) of your wife |
sister-in-law |
|
SHAO-yee |
SIU-yee |
CH'EO-yee |
wife of your wife's oldest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
BEO-sao |
BEW-sao |
BEO-ch'ao |
wife of your wife's youngest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
BEO-sao |
BEW-sao |
BEO-ch'ao |
sister (oldest) of your husband |
sister-in-law |
|
DA-goo |
DAI-goo |
AI-goo |
sister (youngest) of your husband |
sister-in-law |
|
SHAO-goo |
SIU-goo |
CH'EO-goo |
wife of your husband's oldest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
DA-sao |
DAI-sao |
AI-ch'ao |
wife of your husband's youngest brother |
sister-in-law |
|
SHAO-sao |
SIU-sao |
CH'EO-ch'ao |
father of your wife |
father-in-law |
|
YUEH-foo |
ng'awk-FOO |
NG'AWK-foo |
mother of your wife |
mother-in-law |
|
YUEH-moo |
ng'awk-MO |
NG'AWK-mo |
father of your husband |
father-in-law |
|
goong-goong |
goong-goong (LO-yeh) |
gung-gung (LAO-yeh) |
mother of your husband |
mother-in-law |
|
po-po |
po-po (ny-NY) |
po-po (ny-NY) |
step-father |
step father |
|
JEE-foo |
gai-FOO |
GAI-foo |
step-mother |
step mother |
|
JEE-foo |
gai-MO |
GAI-mo |
father's brother's wife |
aunt (by marriage) |
|
BAW-mo |
BEW-mo |
BEO-mo |
father's sister's husband |
uncle (by marriage) |
|
goo-JAHNG |
goo-CHEUNG |
goo-JEUNG |
mother's brother's wife |
aunt (by marriage) |
|
JEO-moo |
kow-MO |
kew-MO |
mother's sister's husband |
uncle (by marriage) |
|
yee-JAHNG |
yee-CHEUNG |
goo-JEUNG |
father of your son's wife |
son's father-in-law |
|
chin-JIEH |
CHUN-gah |
TEEN-gah |
mother of your son's wife |
son's mother-in-law |
|
chin-JIEH-moo |
CHUN-gah-mo |
TEEN-gah-mo |
father of daughter's husband |
daughter's father-in-law |
|
chin-JIEH |
CHUN-gah |
TEEN-gah |
mother of daughter's husband |
daughter's mother-in-law |
|
chin-JIEH-moo |
CHUN-gah-mo |
TEEN-gah-mo |
father's brother's son's wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
TAHNG-sao |
tong-SAO |
han-CH'AO |
father's brother's daughter's husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
TAHNG-may-shu |
tong-mui-SAI |
han-MOY-ch'ai |
father's sister's son's wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
beo-SAO |
BEW-sao |
BEO-ch'ao |
father's sister's daughter's husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
beo-JEH-foo |
BEW-jeh-foo |
BEO-day-foo |
mother's brother's son's wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
beo-SAO |
BEW-sao |
BEO-ch'ao |
mother's brother's daughter's husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-may-shu |
BEW-moy-sai |
BEO-moy-ch'ai |
mother's sister's son's wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
beo-SAO |
BEW-sao |
BEO-ch'ao |
mother's sister's daughter's husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
beo-JEH-foo |
BEW-jeh-foo |
BEO-day-foo |
male paternal 1st cousin of your wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-dee |
BEW-hing-dai |
BEO-han-ai |
male maternal 1st cousin of your wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-dee |
BEW-hing-dai |
BEO-han-ai |
husband of your wife's paternal 1st cousin |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may-foo |
BEW-hing-mui-FOO |
BEO-han-moy-FOO |
husband of your wife's maternal 1st cousin |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may-foo |
BEW-hing-mui-FOO |
BEO-han-moy-FOO |
female paternal 1st cousin of your wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may |
BEW-hing-mui |
BEO-han-moy |
female maternal 1st cousin of your wife |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may |
BEW-hing-mui |
BEO-han-moy |
male paternal 1st cousin of your husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
TAHNG-shoong-dee |
TONG-hing-dai |
HONG-han-ai |
male maternal 1st cousin of your husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-dee |
BEW-hing-dai |
BEO-han-ai |
female paternal 1st cousin of your husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may |
BEW-hing-mui |
BEO-han-moy |
female maternal 1st cousin of your husband |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-may |
BEW-hing-mui |
BEO-han-moy |
wife of your husband's paternal 1st cousin |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
TAHNG-shoong-sao |
TONG-hing-sao |
HONG-han-ch'ao |
wife of your husband's maternal 1st cousin |
1st cousin (by marriage) |
|
BEO-shoong-sao |
BEO-hing-sao |
BEO-han-ch'ao |