Which side?
Your father's parents and your mother's parents are four different words, not two. 奶奶 and 外婆 are not synonyms.
A field guide to Chinese kinship
What is a Chinese
family tree?
English has one word for grandmother, one for uncle, one for cousin. Chinese has two, five and eight — because every term tells you which side of the family, whether they are older or younger, and whose family you married into.
- 73terms
- 5generations
- 8words for cousin
- 2grandmothers
Why a Chinese family tree is not a translation table
A Chinese family tree is a map of relationships, not a list of translations. English can call both of your parents' mothers “grandmother”. Mandarin cannot: 奶奶 is your father's mother, 外婆 is your mother's mother, and the difference is built into the word.
That is why a Chinese family tree is organised around three questions. Which side of the family? Which generation? Is the person older or younger than you? A term is not a synonym for an English word; it is a set of coordinates. 伯伯 is your father's older brother, 叔叔 is your father's younger brother, and 舅舅 is your mother's brother.
The chart covers five generations and 73 everyday terms. It starts with you, moves up to parents and grandparents, across to aunts, uncles and cousins, and down to children, nieces and nephews. In-laws get their own lane because the words change with the speaker: a woman says 公公/婆婆, a man says 岳父/岳母.
The lanes are not decoration. The left side is the father's line; the right side is the mother's line. That is why 爷爷 and 外公 are both grandfathers but not interchangeable.
The list is deliberately practical. It covers the relatives you are likely to name in a family conversation, not every classical or dialect term. Where a family uses a different word, the pages note the common alternative. See the full Chinese family tree chart.
One word, two people
English says grandmother. Chinese asks: which one?
Your father's mother is 奶奶. Your mother's mother is 外婆 — or 姥姥 in the north. The same split runs through grandfathers, grandsons and nephews. It is not a vocabulary quirk; it is a different way of describing a family.
Read the grandmother guide爷爷yé yedad's dad
奶奶nǎi naidad's mom
外公wài gōngmom's dad
外婆wài pómom's mom
Why English makes it look simpler
English makes kinship look simpler because it leaves information out. “Grandmother” does not tell you whose mother she is; “cousin” does not tell you which side of the family they belong to or whether they are older. Chinese keeps that information in the word.
This is not extra vocabulary for its own sake. It records who belongs to the father's line, who is older, and which family someone married into. The system is also changing: many families now use 奶奶 for both grandmothers, and some younger parents drop 外. Learn the standard map first, then follow the family you are speaking to.
Once you know the questions, you can predict a term you have never seen. That is more useful than memorising a translation for every relative, because the same logic applies to a family you meet for the first time.
The terms are not a test of memory. If a word does not come to mind, describe the relationship: 我爸爸的弟弟 is clear even when 叔叔 does not. The chart is a map, not a script.
Guides
Find the relative you need
Ten guides, each built around one question: which word is the right one, and why. Every term includes characters, pinyin, tone marks and audio.
家人 / 家庭
Family
Household, people, clan — three different words.
Open guide 奶奶 / 外婆Grandmother
Two words, two sides of the family.
Open guide 爷爷 / 外公Grandfather
The same split, one generation up.
Open guide 姐姐 / 妹妹Sister
Older or younger — the word says which.
Open guide 哥哥 / 弟弟Brother
There is no neutral word for brother.
Open guide 伯伯 / 舅舅Uncle
Five men English calls “uncle”.
Open guide 姑姑 / 姨妈Aunt
Five aunts, split by side and marriage.
Open guide 堂哥 / 表妹Cousin
Eight words for one English cousin.
Open guide 公公 / 岳父In-laws
The word depends on who you are.
Open guide 侄子 / 外甥Niece & nephew
Your brother's kids and your sister's kids.
Open guideThe system
How the Chinese family tree is organised
The chart has two axes and three questions. Generation runs vertically; side, age and line decide the word.
Generation is the vertical axis. Your parents and their siblings sit one row above you; your grandparents two rows above. Your own generation includes siblings and cousins; the rows below hold children, nieces and nephews. Moving one row changes the term even when the side stays the same.
Read the chart from the centre outwards. Start with 我 (you), then move one row up to 爸爸 and 妈妈, and one row further to the four grandparents. The left and right lanes repeat the same pattern at every generation, so a term you learn in one row can be predicted in the next.
Older or younger?
There is no neutral “brother” or “sister”. 哥哥/弟弟 and 姐姐/妹妹 build age into the word itself.
堂 or 表?
Your father's brothers' children are 堂; everyone else's are 表. One English “cousin” becomes eight Chinese words.
Chinese family tree FAQ
Is a Chinese family tree the same as a 家谱?
Not quite. 家谱 (jiāpǔ) is a written genealogy, a clan record of names and generations. A Chinese family tree in the everyday sense is a diagram of relationships; the kinship terms are the labels on that diagram.
Do I need all 73 terms?
No. Start with your own household: parents, grandparents, siblings, then the relatives you actually meet. The 73-term chart is a reference, not a vocabulary test.
Why are there different words for the same relative?
Because the word records side, generation and age. 奶奶 and 外婆 are both grandmothers, but one is your father's mother and the other is your mother's mother. The difference is the information.
Where should I start?
Start with the two grandmothers and two grandfathers. They show the side distinction immediately. Then learn 哥哥/弟弟 and 姐姐/妹妹 for age, and 堂/表 for cousins.
Does this Chinese family tree cover dialect terms?
The main list is standard modern Mandarin. Regional forms such as 姥姥/姥爷 and 阿嬷/阿婆 are noted where they matter; they are not counted as separate terms in the 73.
How many generations does the chart cover?
Five: grandparents, parents, your own generation, children and grandchildren. Great-grandparents and great-grandchildren are noted in the term entries, but the main chart stays with the generations most families name in everyday conversation.
Can I use this chart for a family I am marrying into?
Yes, but listen first. In-laws are the most sensitive part: a woman uses 公公/婆婆 for her husband's parents, a man uses 岳父/岳母 for his wife's. If you are unsure, follow the family's own usage rather than correcting them.
What if I use the wrong term?
Describe the relationship instead: 我爸爸的弟弟 is clear even if you forget 叔叔. A small correction is normal; the system is precise, but people are forgiving.
Is this a genealogy site?
No. It explains the vocabulary and structure of Chinese kinship; it does not host family records or 家谱 databases.
If you are new to the system, start with the three questions, then open the guide for the relative you need. Every guide begins with a short answer and then gives the terms, examples and common mistakes. The full chart is the reference you can return to.
Start here
See the whole family on one page
An interactive five-generation chart, all 73 terms, the cousin matrix and the in-law tables — with a printable version for your notes.
Open the Chinese family tree