How to Work Out Chinese Kinship Terms
Not sure what to call a relative? This guide shows the “relation chain” method and gives the correct terms for father’s younger brother, mother’s elder sister and more.
The method: start from “me” and write each step as a “relation chain” joined with 的, for example 爸爸的弟弟 (father’s younger brother) or 妈妈的姐姐 (mother’s elder sister).
Feed the chain into the calculator and it returns the right term: 爸爸的弟弟 = 叔叔 (uncle), 妈妈的姐姐 = 大姨 (aunt), 儿子的女儿 = 孙女 (granddaughter).
Pay attention to seniority and to the paternal/maternal side: a father’s elder brother is 伯父 and a younger one 叔父, a mother’s brother is 舅舅, a father’s sister is 姑姑, and a mother’s sister is 姨妈.
The tool uses a mature Chinese kinship engine and runs fully in the browser — nothing is uploaded, so it is handy to check before a family gathering.