Family words in Taiwanese (臺語 / Tâi-gí)

Words for family members and other relatives in Taiwanese, a variety of Min Nan Chinese spoken mainly in Taiwan

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, m = male, f = female, + = elder, - = younger, pt-= paternal, mt-= maternal

	Taiwanese (臺語 / Tâi-gí)
family	家庭 (ka-têng)
relative	親戚 (chhin-chhek)
parents	父母 (hū-bó)
father	父親 (hū-chhin) frm 爸 (pâ) inf 阿爸 (ā-pah) inf
mother	母親 (bó-chhin) frm 媽媽 (ma-ma) inf 阿母 (a-bó) inf 俺娘 (án-niâ)
children	囡仔 (gín-á) 囝仔 (kín-á)
son	囝兒 (kiáⁿ-lî)
daughter	女兒 (lí-jî)
spouse	匹偶 (phit-ngó͘)
husband	先生 (sin-seⁿ) 丈人 (tiūⁿ-lâng) 翁 (ang)
wife	某 (bó) 牽手 (khan-chhiú) 煮飯仔 (chí-pn̄g-á)
siblings	共腹內 (kāng-pak-lāi) 至腹個 (chì-pak-ê)
brother	阿兄 (a-hiaⁿ) + 小弟 (sió-tī) -
sister	姊 (chí) + 小妹 (sió-mōai) -
uncle	阿伯 (a-peh) father's elder brother 阿叔 (ah-chek) father's younger brother 姑丈 (ko͘-tiūⁿ) father's sister's husband 阿舅 (a-kū) mother's brother 姨丈 (î-tiūⁿ) mother's sister's husband
aunt	阿姑 (a-ko) father's sister 阿嬸 (a-chím) father's brother's wife 姨母 (î-bó) mother's sister 阿妗 (a-kīm) mother's brother's wife
cousin (paternal)	叔伯兄 (chek-peh-hiaⁿ) +m 堂弟 (tông-sió-tī) -m 堂姐 (tông-chí) +f 堂妹 (tông-sió-mōai) -f
cousin (maternal)	表兄 (piáu-hiaⁿ) +m 表弟 (piáu-sió-tī) -m 表姐 (piáu-chí) +f 表妹 (piáu-sió-mōai) -f
nephew	姪仔 (ti̍t-á) brother's son 外甥 (gōe-seng) sister's son
niece	姪女 (ti̍t-lí/lú) brother's daughter 外甥女 (gōe-seng-lí/lú) sister's daughter
grandfather	祖父 (chó͘-hū) pt-frm 爺 (iâ) pt-inf 外公 (gōa-kong) mt-frm 俺公 (án-kong) mt-inf
grandmother	祖母 (chó͘-bó/bú) pt-frm 阿媽 (a-má) pt-inf 外媽 (gōa-má) mt-frm 俺媽 (án-má) mt-inf
grandson	孫子 (sun-á) son's son 外孫 (gōa-sun) daughter's son
granddaughter	孫女 (sun-lú/lí) son's daughter 外孫女 (gōa-sun-lú) daughter's daughter
father-in-law	大官 (ta-koaⁿ) husband's father 岳父 (ga̍k-hū) wife's father
mother-in-law	大家 (ta-ke) husband's mother 岳母 (ga̍k-bó/bú) wife's mother
brother-in-law	姊夫 (ché-hu) elder sister's husband 妹婿 (mōe-sài) younger sister's husband 阿伯 (a-peh) husband's elder brother 小叔 (sió-chek) husband's younger brother
sister-in-law	兄嫂人 (hiaⁿ-só-lâng) elder brother's wife 細嬸 (sió-chím) younger brother's wife 某大姨 (bó͘-tōa-î) wife's elder sister 姨仔 (î-á) wife's younger sister
son-in-law	女婿 (lí-sài)
daughter-in-law	囝新婦 (kiáⁿ-sin-pū)

Links

Information about Chinese kinship terms
http://www.expatintaiwan.net/family-names/

Family words in Chinese / Sinitic languages

Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, Taiwanese

Family words in other languages

If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.

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