How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Traditional Chinese words on “Family and relationships”. The full topic holds 140 in the KoKo app: 56 at the easy level, 49 at the medium level and 35 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Traditional Chinese vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Traditional Chinese vocabulary: family

Parents, children, grandparents, friends, partners: family members and relationships in Traditional Chinese.

Here are 100 Traditional Chinese words on “Family and relationships”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 40 words

Traditional Chinese	English
出生	birth
男朋友	boyfriendMale partner, romantic relationship
兄弟	brother
姊夫	brother in law
小孩	child
監護權	child custody
同居	cohabitation
情侶	couple
爸爸	dadInformal register, a child’s word for their father
女兒	daughter
死亡	death
家庭	family
家庭聚餐	family meal
父親	fatherStandard register, the man who is the child’s biological parent or raises the child
岳父	father in law
朋友	friend
世代	generation
女朋友	girlfriendFemale partner, romantic relationship
孫女	granddaughterDaughter of one’s son or daughter
祖父	grandfather
曾祖父	great grandfather
曾祖母	great grandmother
同父異母兄弟	half brother
老公	husbandEveryday use
姻親	in laws
愛情	love
男人	man
母親	motherStandard register, the woman who gives birth to or raises the child
岳母	mother in law
媽媽	mumInformal register, a child’s word for their mother
姊妹	sister
嫂嫂	sister in law
支持	support
姓氏	surname
相處融洽	to get on well
拜訪	to visit
信任	trust
教養	upbringing
結婚戒指	wedding ring
女人	woman

Level 2: medium 35 words

Traditional Chinese	English
收養	adoption
贍養費	alimony
爭執	argument
阿姨	aunt
決裂	break up
伴娘	bridesmaid
死黨	buddy
典禮	ceremony
同學	classmate
同事	colleague
堂表兄弟	cousinSon of one’s uncle or aunt
後代	descendant
離婚	divorce
老大	eldest child
名字	first name
友誼	friendship
教父	godfather
新郎	groomOn the wedding day
蜜月	honeymoon
主人	host
遺產	inheritance
鄰居	neighbour
姪子	nephewSon of one’s brother or sister
姪女	nieceDaughter of one’s brother or sister
懷孕	pregnancy
分居	separation
團結	solidarity
青少年	teenager
緊張關係	tension
領養	to adopt
分手	to break up
結婚	to get married
養育	to raise
叔叔	uncle
老幺	youngest child

Level 3: hard 25 words

Traditional Chinese	English
祖先	ancestor
保母	childminder
媳婦	daughter in lawWife of one’s son
婚約	engagement
親屬關係	family tie
未婚夫	fiancePerson engaged to be married, before the ceremony
教子	godchild
嬰兒	infant
大家庭	large family
監護人	legal guardian
同居伴侶	live in partner
親權	parental authority
和解	reconciliation
相似	resemblance
競爭	rivalry
單親家庭	single parent family
女婿	son in lawHusband of one’s daughter
哺乳	to breastfeed
摟抱	to cuddle
離異	to divorce
生產	to give birth
和好	to make up
責罵	to scold
雙胞胎	twin
不忠	unfaithfulness

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Traditional Chinese words on “Family and relationships”. The full topic holds 140 in the KoKo app: 56 at the easy level, 49 at the medium level and 35 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Traditional Chinese vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

How KoKo makes words stick

These lists come from KoKo, the app to learn Traditional Chinese vocabulary on iPhone.