Chinese Traditional Kinship Addresses

Chinese kinship addresses are as complex, if not more so, as the kinship system in some sense. In fact, traditional Chinese uses different systems of addresses (or honorifics) when referring own family member to others, when referring to others’ family members, or even when referring to family members who have passed away. The table below enumerates some of the most commonly seen kinship addresses for your references:

除了如蜘蛛网般错综复杂的亲属关系，华人的亲属称谓也很不简单。传统的华人在对他人谦称自己的家人，对他人尊称其家人，甚至对自己或他人已去世的家人都有一套不一样的称谓。下表就列举了一些最常见的亲属称谓，以供参考：

Relation with Ego		Kinship Addresses
Simplified Chinese	English	Direct address	Of own family members to others	To others’ family members	Of own deceased family members to others	To others’ deceased family members	English equivalent
父	male parent	父亲、爸爸	家严、家父	令尊、尊翁、令尊翁、尊上、尊府、贤乔梓（指父子二／多人）	先父、先君、先考、显考	令先君、令先翁	father
母	female parent	母亲、妈妈	家慈、家母	令堂、令寿堂、尊萱、尊堂	先母、先慈、先妣、显妣	令先堂	mother
夫	male spouse		拙夫、外子	尊夫君、贤伉俪（指夫妻二人）	先夫	令先夫	husband
妻	female spouse		内人、内子、拙荆、贱内	尊夫人、嫂夫人、尊阃、贤伉俪（指夫妻二人）	先妻		wife
子	male offspring		小儿、犬儿	令郎、令公子、贤乔梓（指父子二／多人）			son
子之妻	~’s wife		小媳	令媳			daughter-in-law
女	female offspring		小女	令嫒（令爱）、令千金			daughter
女之夫	~’s husband		小婿	令婿、贵东床			son-in-law
兄	older male sibling	兄、哥哥	家兄	令兄、贤昆仲（指兄弟二／多人）			(elder) brother
兄之妻	~’s wife	嫂	家嫂	令嫂			sister-in-law
弟	younger male sibling	弟、弟弟	舍弟	令弟、贤昆仲（指兄弟二／多人）			(younger) brother
弟之妻	~’s wife	弟妇、弟妹	舍弟妇	令弟妇			sister-in-law
兄弟之子	brother’s son	姪、姪儿、姪子	舍姪	令姪			nephew
兄弟之女	brother’s daughter	姪女	舍姪女	令姪女			niece
姐	older female sibling	姐、姐姐	家姐	令姐、贤昆玉（指姐妹二／多人）			(elder) sister
姐之夫	~’s husband	姐夫	家姐丈	令姐丈			brother-in-law
妹	younger female sibling	妹、妹妹	舍妹	令妹、贤昆玉（指姐妹二／多人）			(younger) sister
妹之夫	~’s husband	妹夫	舍妹丈	令妹丈			brother-in-law
姐妹之子	sister’s son	外甥、姨甥（自身为女性）					nephew
姐妹之女	sister’s daughter	外甥女、姨甥女（自身为女性）					niece
父之父	father’s father	祖父、爷爷	家祖父	令祖父	先祖、先大父、先祖考	令先祖、令祖考	(paternal) grandfather
父之母	father’s mother	祖母、奶奶	家祖母	令祖母	先祖母、先大母、先祖妣	令先祖母、令祖妣	(paternal) grandmother
父之兄	father’s elder brother	伯父、伯伯	家伯	令伯	先伯	令先伯	uncle
父之兄之妻	~’s wife	伯母、伯娘	家伯母	令伯母	先伯母	令先伯母	aunt
父之弟	father’s younger brother	叔父、叔叔	家叔	令叔	先叔	令先叔	uncle
父之弟之妻	~’s wife	叔母、婶婶	家叔母	令叔母	先叔母	令先叔母	aunt
父之姐	father’s elder sister	姑母、姑妈、姑姑	家姑	令姑母			aunt
父之妹	father’s yonger sister	姑姐、姑姑	家姑	令姑母			aunt
父之姐妹之夫	~’s husband	姑父、姑丈	家姑父	令姑父、令姑丈			uncle
母之父	mother’s father	外祖父、外公、姥爷	家外祖父	令外祖父			(maternal) grandfather
母之母	mother’s mother	外祖母、外婆、姥姥	家外祖母	令外祖母			(maternal) grandmother
母之兄弟	mother’s brother	舅父、舅舅	家母舅	令母舅			uncle
母之兄弟之妻	~’s wife	舅母、舅妈、妗母	家舅母	令舅母			aunt
母之姐妹	mother’s sister	姨母、姨妈、阿姨	家姨母	令姨母			aunt
母之姐妹之夫	~’s husband	姨父、姨丈	家姨丈	令姨丈			uncle
祖父之兄	paternal grandfather’s elder brother	伯祖父、伯公	家伯祖父	令伯祖父			granduncle
祖父之兄之妻	~’s wife	伯祖母、伯婆	家伯祖母	令伯祖母			grandaunt
祖父之弟	paternal grandfather’s younger brother	叔祖父、叔公	家叔祖父	令叔祖父			granduncle
祖父之弟之妻	~’s wife	婶祖母、婶婆	家婶祖母	令婶祖母			grandaunt
祖父之姐妹	paternal grandfather’s sister	姑祖母、姑婆	家姑祖母	令姑祖母			grandaunt
祖父之姐妹之夫	~’s husband	姑祖父、丈公	家姑祖父	令姑祖父			granduncle
夫之父	father of husband	公公	家翁	令家翁			father-in-law
夫之母	mother of husband	婆婆	家姑	令家姑			mother-in-law
夫之兄	older brother of husband	伯、大伯					brother-in-law
夫之兄之妻	~’s wife	嫂、大嫂					sister-in-law
夫之弟	younger brother of husband	叔、小叔					brother-in-law
夫之弟之妻	~’s wife	婶、小婶					sister-in-law
夫之姐	older sister of husband	姑、大姑					sister-in-law
夫之妹	younger sister of husband	姑、小姑					sister-in-law
妻之父	father of wife	岳父	家岳、家岳父	令岳、令岳父、令岳翁	外考	令先岳父	father-in-law
妻之母	mother of wife	岳母	家岳母	令岳母、令丈母	外妣	令先岳母	mother-in-law
妻之兄	older brother of wife	内兄、大舅	敝内兄、妻兄	令舅、令内兄			brother-in-law
妻之弟	younger brother of wife	内弟、小舅	敝内弟、妻弟	令舅、令内弟			brother-in-law
妻之姐	older sister of wife	姨姐、大姨					sister-in-law
妻之妹	younger sister of wife	姨妹、小姨					sister-in-law
妻之姐妹之夫（较自身年长）	husband of wife’s sister older than ego	襟兄					brother-in-law
妻之姐妹之夫（较自身年幼）	husband of wife’s sister younger than ego	襟弟					brother-in-law

References

《重編國語辭典修訂本（網路版）·附錄十五：親屬關係簡表及附圖》，中華民國教育部國語推行委員會編纂，二〇〇七年十二月臺灣學術網路四版ver.2。
《重編國語辭典修訂本（網路版）·附錄十四：親朋稱呼表》，中華民國教育部國語推行委員會編纂，二〇〇七年十二月臺灣學術網路四版ver.2。
Chinese kinship, Wikipedia, December 2008.
Chinese honorifics, Wikipedia, December 2008.