Chinese kinship term calculator. Solves the classic "what do I call my father's sister's son?" problem. Covers direct/collateral/in-law lines with paternal vs maternal + 堂 vs 表 distinctions.
Chinese Kinship Calculator (亲戚称谓计算器)
How to use
Start from "me"
The chain always begins with the user. Step 1: pick a direct relative of "me" (father/mother/sibling/spouse/child).
Add links
Each new link = the next-step relative of the previous person. E.g. "father → older sister → son" = father's older sister's son.
Max 3 links
The tool covers 2-3 link chains (~90% of common kinships). Beyond 3 links you're in "distant relatives" — the term is flexible and usually simplified by generation.
Calculate → bidirectional
Result shows what you call them + what they call you. Standard Chinese kinship term + English + usage notes.
Chinese kinship — one of the world\'s most complex systems
The Chinese kinship system distinguishes 5 dimensions: (1) paternal vs maternal (內 vs 外); (2) direct vs collateral line; (3) older vs younger; (4) same vs different generation; (5) blood vs in-law. The result: about 50+ distinct terms, far richer than English\'s ~12.
"堂" vs "表" cousins
This is the single most-asked question at Chinese New Year. 堂 (táng) = paternal uncle\'s children (same surname, same lineage). 表 (biǎo) = paternal aunt\'s + ALL maternal-side cousins (different surname). E.g. 堂哥 vs 表哥.
"Paternal direct line = 內 (inner): 爷爷, 奶奶, 孙子. Maternal = 外 (outer): 外公, 外婆, 外孙. One character difference encodes 2,000 years of patrilineal clan structure."
"侄" vs "外甥" nephews
Same logic: brother\'s children = 侄子/侄女 (paternal-line nephews). sister\'s children = 外甥/外甥女 (literally "outer nephews", reflecting they belong to a different surname clan). Reflects the patrilineal "sons stay, daughters leave" tradition.
In-law terms
Marriage introduces a parallel terminology: 公公/婆婆 (husband\'s parents) vs 岳父/岳母 (wife\'s parents). 儿媳/女婿 (children\'s spouses). Even finer: 小姑 (husband\'s younger sister), 大伯子 (husband\'s older brother).
10 facts about Chinese kinship
Chinese has 50+ distinct kinship terms. English has only ~12 (uncle, aunt, cousin) — 4× the granularity.
"堂" vs "表" cousins is the #1 question at Chinese New Year. 堂 = same-surname paternal; 表 = different-surname (maternal + paternal aunt's line).
"內" (inner) vs "外" (outer) (爷爷 paternal vs 外公 maternal) — dates back to the Zhou dynasty patrilineal clan system (3000+ years).
姐 (elder) vs 妹 (younger) sister; 哥 vs 弟 brother — Chinese has no equivalent of generic "sister"/"brother"; you must specify older or younger.
Father's sister vs mother's sister: 姑姑 vs 阿姨 — completely separate terminology.
姑姑/舅舅/阿姨/伯伯/叔叔 = 5 separate terms for what English calls just "aunt" or "uncle".
侄 vs 外甥 nephews: brother's son = 侄子 (same surname); sister's son = 外甥 (different surname).
In-law terms form a completely parallel system: 岳父 vs 公公 (wife's/husband's father) — never interchangeable.
"老" (lǎo) prefix (老爷子, 老姨) = respectful elder, can be used for non-relatives too.
SG/MY Chinese (especially Hokkien, Teochew) have their own kinship terms (e.g. Hokkien "a-koh" for paternal aunt). This tool uses the Mandarin/northern system.
Frequently Asked Questions
堂 = paternal uncle's son (same surname, same clan). 表 = paternal aunt's son + ALL maternal-side cousins (different surname). E.g. dad's brother's son → 堂哥; dad's sister's son → 表哥; mom's any sibling's son → 表哥.
~50 chain combinations covering 2-3 links — about 90% of everyday usage. For more complex 4+ link relations, consult a specialised genealogy reference.
Reflects patrilineal clan structure: paternal relatives get exclusive terms (姑/伯/叔), maternal use "外" or "姨" markers to denote non-paternal (外公/阿姨/舅舅). A 3000+ year legacy of the patriarchal clan system.
Husband's parents = 公公 / 婆婆 (gōnggong / pópo). Wife's parents = 岳父 / 岳母 (yuèfù / yuèmǔ). Completely separate terminology.
Son's wife = 儿媳 / 媳妇 (xífù). Daughter's husband = 女婿 (nǚxù). They call you 公公/婆婆 (her) or 岳父/岳母 (him).
Yes. Each Chinese topolect has its own kinship system. This tool uses the Mandarin / northern system. SG/MY Hokkien, Teochew, and Hakka communities have additional distinctions not covered here.
Not yet. 4+ link relations are "distant" — terms become flexible and usually simplified by generation (e.g. 表侄女 or 表外甥女). A future version may extend.
100% accurate for 2-3 link standard Mandarin/northern relations (based on the Ancient & Modern Chinese Kinship Dictionary). Topolect variants (Hokkien/Cantonese/Hakka) need separate verification.
No. The entire kinship table is inline JS (~50 lookup entries) — copy into your own code.
Yes. All RECATOOLS tools are 100% free, ad-supported.
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