Family & Friends Vocabulary in Chinese

Strengthen your communication with Family & Friends Vocabulary in Chinese. This collection covers essential words for relationships, relatives, close friends, and everyday interactions. 

Building strong relationships often begins with the words we choose. Whether you’re talking about your family, describing friendships, sharing celebrations, or expressing heartfelt wishes, having the right vocabulary makes every interaction smoother and more natural.

This curated list from GuruLango helps you speak confidently about the people who matter most. Combined with Spaced Repetition learning, you can memorize these words effortlessly and recall them exactly when you need them. 

1. Family Members - Talking About Your Loved Ones

Use these essential words to introduce your family and describe who’s who in Chinese.

Vocabulary 

Pinyin

English Meaning

家人 (noun)

jiārén

Family members

爸爸 (noun)

bàba

Father

妈妈 (noun)

māma

Mother

哥哥 (noun)

gēge

Older brother

弟弟 (noun)

dìdi

Younger brother

姐姐 (noun)

jiějie

Older sister

妹妹 (noun)

mèimei

Younger sister

儿子 (noun)

érzi

Son

女儿 (noun)

nǚ’ér

Daughter

爷爷 (noun)

yéye

Grandfather (paternal)

奶奶 (noun)

nǎinai

Grandmother (paternal)

外婆 (noun)

wàipó

Grandmother (maternal)

外公 (noun)

wàigōng

Grandfather (maternal)

2. Family Types - Describing Your Household

These words help you explain your family structure and who lives together with you.

Vocabulary

Pinyin

English Meaning

家庭 (noun)

jiātíng

Family / household

核心家庭 (noun)

héxīn jiātíng

Nuclear family

大家庭 (noun)

dà jiātíng

Extended family

单亲家庭 (noun)

dānqīn jiātíng

Single-parent family

夫妻 (noun)

fūqī

Husband and wife

父母 (noun)

fùmǔ

Parents

兄弟姐妹 (noun)

xiōngdì jiěmèi

Siblings

亲戚 (noun)

qīnqi

Relatives

伴侣 (noun)

bànlǚ

Partner

同住 (verb)

tóng zhù

Live together

分开住 (verb)

fēnkāi zhù

Live apart

3. Romantic Relationships - Talking About Love

Use these vocabulary words to describe dating, love, and romantic connections.

Vocabulary 

Pinyin

English Meaning

爱人 (noun)

àirén

Loved one

男朋友 (noun)

nán péngyou

Boyfriend

女朋友 (noun)

nǚ péngyou

Girlfriend

老公 (noun)

lǎogōng

Husband

老婆 (noun)

lǎopó

Wife

爱情 (noun)

àiqíng

Love (romantic)

约会 (verb/noun)

yuēhuì

Date / dating

相爱 (verb)

xiāng’ài

Be in love

结婚 (verb)

jié hūn

Get married

离婚 (verb)

lí hūn

Divorce

求婚 (verb)

qiúhūn

Propose

4. Social Relationships - Friends & Connections

Talk naturally about your friendships, classmates, coworkers, and other social ties.

Vocabulary

Pinyin

English Meaning

朋友 (noun)

péngyou

Friend

好朋友 (noun)

hǎo péngyou

Close friend

同学 (noun)

tóngxué

Classmate

同事 (noun)

tóngshì

Colleague

邻居 (noun)

línjū

Neighbor

伙伴 (noun)

huǒbàn

Partner / companion

熟人 (noun)

shúrén

Acquaintance

网友 (noun)

wǎngyǒu

Online friend

关系 (noun)

guānxì

Relationship

团队 (noun)

tuánduì

Team

社交 (verb/noun)

shèjiāo

Socialize / social

5. Describing Relationships - How People Get Along

Use these words to describe closeness, trust, distance, and the quality of relationships.

Vocabulary

Pinyin

English Meaning

亲密 (adj.)

qīnmì

Close / intimate

要好 (adj.)

yàohǎo

Good / close (relationship)

信任 (verb)

xìnrèn

Trust

支持 (verb)

zhīchí

Support

帮助 (verb)

bāngzhù

Help

关心 (verb)

guānxīn

Care about

尊重 (verb)

zūnzhòng

Respect

和平相处 (verb)

hépíng xiāngchǔ

Get along peacefully

争吵 (verb)

zhēngchǎo

Argue

分开 (verb)

fēnkāi

Separate

和好 (verb)

héhǎo

Make up

6. Celebration & Party - Events with Family & Friends

These words help you talk about birthdays, festivals, gatherings, and joyful celebrations.

Vocabulary

Pinyin

English Meaning

派对 (noun)

pàiduì

Party

庆祝 (verb)

qìngzhù

Celebrate

生日 (noun)

shēngrì

Birthday

生日派对 (noun)

shēngrì pàiduì

Birthday party

节日 (noun)

jiérì

Festival

家庭聚会 (noun)

jiātíng jùhuì

Family gathering

晚会 (noun)

wǎnhuì

Evening event

礼物 (noun)

lǐwù

Gift

邀请 (verb)

yāoqǐng

Invite

烛光 (noun)

zhúguāng

Candlelight

气氛 (noun)

qìfēn

Atmosphere

7. Wishes & Congratulations - Sharing Good Feelings

Use these positive expressions to offer blessings, congratulations, and warm wishes.

Vocabulary

Pinyin

English Meaning

恭喜 (verb)

gōngxǐ

Congratulations

祝你好运 (phrase)

zhù nǐ hǎo yùn

Wish you good luck

生日快乐 (phrase)

shēngrì kuàilè

Happy Birthday

新年快乐 (phrase)

xīnnián kuàilè

Happy New Year

早日康复 (phrase)

zǎorì kāngfù

Get well soon

一路顺风 (phrase)

yílù shùnfēng

Safe travels

祝福 (verb/noun)

zhùfú

Bless / blessing

祝你成功 (phrase)

zhù nǐ chénggōng

Wish you success

加油 (phrase)

jiāyóu

You can do it!

万事如意 (phrase)

wànshì rúyì

May all go well

心想事成 (phrase)

xīnxiǎng shì chéng

May your wishes come true

These vocabulary themes help you express love, support, and connection in Chinese, which are skills that make every conversation more meaningful. With GuruLango’s Spaced Repetition system, you can build long-lasting vocabulary and speak confidently about the people who matter most.

Start learning with GuruLango and strengthen your Chinese communication today!