bàbaㄅㄚˋ ㄅㄚ˙
dad, literally “father”
The informal everyday term, 爹 in the north and 老爸 when teasing. Formal: 父亲.
māmaㄇㄚ ㄇㄚ˙
mom, literally “mother”
The universal first word. Northern: 娘. Formal/written: 母亲.
yéyeㄧㄝˊ ㄧㄝ˙
paternal grandfather, literally “grandpa (father's side)”
Father's father only. The patrilineal split starts here: your mother's father is someone else entirely.
nǎinaiㄋㄞˇ ㄋㄞ˙
paternal grandmother, literally “grandma (father's side)”
Father's mother. The matriarch in traditional households: she runs the kitchen and the opinions.
wàigōngㄨㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
maternal grandfather, literally “outside grandpa”
Mother's father, literally 'outside grandpa', the 外 marks the non-surname line. North: 姥爷.
wàipóㄨㄞˋ ㄆㄛˊ
maternal grandmother, literally “outside grandma”
Mother's mother. Northern: 姥姥. The 外婆的澎湖湾 song made her the lyrical grandma.
lǎoyeㄌㄠˇ ㄧㄝ˙
maternal grandfather (northern), literally “grandpa (mother's side)”
Northern term for 外公. The lao- prefix makes it feel older and more affectionate.
lǎolaoㄌㄠˇ ㄌㄠ˙
maternal grandmother (northern), literally “grandma (mother's side)”
Northern for 外婆. 姥姥家 means mom's side entirely: the place where you were spoiled.
zēngzǔfùㄗㄥ ㄗㄨˇ ㄈㄨˋ
great-grandfather, literally “great-grandpa”
One generation up: 曾 is the increment marker for each removed generation, four generations living = 四世同堂.
zēngzǔmǔㄗㄥ ㄗㄨˇ ㄇㄨˇ
great-grandmother, literally “great-grandma”
Living to see great-grandkids is 四世同堂, the traditional blessing of a complete house.
érziㄦˊ ㄗ˙
son, literally “son”
The lineage carrier in the traditional frame: historically valued over daughters, a prejudice the whole system inherited.
nǚ'érㄋㄩˇ ㄦˊ
daughter, literally “daughter”
Historically 'married out' 泼出去的水, but modern families often dote on 闺女 more than sons.
sūnnǚㄙㄨㄣ ㄋㄩˇ
granddaughter (son's daughter), literally “granddaughter”
Son's daughter. Grandson is 孙子 (same surname line, also crude slang for 'jerk' when the suffix goes light, so mind the tone). Daughter's children take the 外- words below.
wàisūnㄨㄞˋ ㄙㄨㄣ
grandson (daughter's son), literally “outside grandson”
Daughter's son, 'outside' because he doesn't carry your surname. The patrilineal code in one character.
wàisūnnǚㄨㄞˋ ㄙㄨㄣ ㄋㄩˇ
granddaughter (daughter's daughter), literally “outside granddaughter”
Daughter's daughter. In practice most grandparents love them equally; the terminology is more rigid than the affection.
gēgeㄍㄜ ㄍㄜ˙
older brother, literally “older brother”
Must specify birth order: there's no generic 'brother'. Also a polite address for any man a bit older than you.
jiějieㄐㄧㄝˇ ㄐㄧㄝ˙
older sister, literally “older sister”
Same rule: older only. Younger sister is 妹妹. The ordering is built into the word.
dìdiㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄧ˙
younger brother, literally “younger brother”
The traditional family pivot: elder siblings are supposed to yield to/protect the 弟弟.
mèimeiㄇㄟˋ ㄇㄟ˙
younger sister, literally “younger sister”
Also internet register for any cute girl: 漂亮妹妹.
zhàngfuㄓㄤˋ ㄈㄨ˙
husband (formal), literally “husband”
The formal word. Everyday: 老公, in speech also 先生 or 爱人 (mainland). Taiwan prefers 先生/太太.
qīziㄑㄧ ㄗ˙
wife (formal), literally “wife”
Formal register. Everyday: 老婆, also 爱人, 内人 (humble archaic), 太太.
sǎoziㄙㄠˇ ㄗ˙
older brother's wife, literally “sister-in-law”
Older brother's wife, also the respectful address for any elder married woman.
dìxíㄉㄧˋ ㄒㄧˊ
younger brother's wife, literally “younger brother's wife”
The sibling-in-law generational split holds: younger gets its own word.
jiěfuㄐㄧㄝˇ ㄈㄨ˙
older sister's husband, literally “older sister's husband”
Also the friendly address for an older married man you know well.
mèifuㄇㄟˋ ㄈㄨ˙
younger sister's husband, literally “younger sister's husband”
Same pattern, younger generation.
jìfùㄐㄧˋ ㄈㄨˋ
stepfather, literally “step-father”
Mother's new husband. 后爹 colloquially, which carries more edge.
jìmǔㄐㄧˋ ㄇㄨˇ
stepmother, literally “step-mother”
The Cinderella-coded word: 后妈 carries the cruel-stepmother baggage in fairy tales.
yǎngfùㄧㄤˇ ㄈㄨˋ
adoptive father, literally “raising father”
The 养 marker: raised not born. Distinct from step-parent.
yǎngmǔㄧㄤˇ ㄇㄨˇ
adoptive mother, literally “raising mother”
Same adoption marker.
gāndiēㄍㄢ ㄉㄧㄝ
godfather (honorary), literally “dry dad”
The honorary father-figure: ceremony-based relationship, also now slang-coded for a rich patron.
gānmāㄍㄢ ㄇㄚ
godmother, literally “dry mom”
Honorary mother-figure: family-adjacent without blood.
jìzǐㄐㄧˋ ㄗˇ
stepson, literally “step-son”
Spouse's son from a previous marriage.
继女 繼女
jìnǚㄐㄧˋ ㄋㄩˇ
stepdaughter, literally “step-daughter”
Spouse's daughter from a previous marriage.
dàbóㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄛˊ
father's older brother, literally “father's elder brother”
伯 = older than father. The generational-order vocabulary: rank within siblings is encoded.
bómǔㄅㄛˊ ㄇㄨˇ
father's older brother's wife, literally “aunt (eldest uncle's wife)”
The aunts-in-law each have their own term: no blanket 'aunt' exists.
shūshuㄕㄨ ㄕㄨ˙
father's younger brother, literally “uncle (father's side, younger)”
Younger than dad. Also the universal address for any unrelated man of uncle-age.
shěnshenㄕㄣˇ ㄕㄣ˙
father's younger brother's wife, literally “aunt (younger uncle's wife)”
The wife of the 叔叔. Families often add the husband's rank: 二婶 = second uncle's wife.
gūguㄍㄨ ㄍㄨ˙
father's sister, literally “paternal aunt”
Father's sister regardless of age order. Married-out aunts visit on 回门 days.
gūfuㄍㄨ ㄈㄨ˙
father's sister's husband, literally “paternal aunt's husband”
The in-law who married in: same generation, different surname.
jiùjiuㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧㄡ˙
mother's brother, literally “maternal uncle”
The most culturally loaded uncle: 舅 takes the seat of honor at weddings, settles disputes, gets the first toast.
jiùmāㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄇㄚ
mother's brother's wife, literally “maternal uncle's wife”
Sometimes 妗子 in the north. Mother's sister-in-law.
yíㄧˊ
mother's sister, literally “maternal aunt”
Mother's sister. The affection-marked aunt: 大姨妈 is also the slang for one's period, context is everything.
yífuㄧˊ ㄈㄨ˙
mother's sister's husband, literally “maternal aunt's husband”
The uncle-by-marriage on mom's side.
tánggēㄊㄤˊ ㄍㄜ
older male cousin (paternal, same surname), literally “hall older brother”
堂 = same hall/surname: children of your father's brothers. You share a surname and an ancestral line.
tángjiěㄊㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄝˇ
older female cousin (paternal), literally “hall older sister”
Same-surname cousin: your father's brothers' daughters.
biǎogēㄅㄧㄠˇ ㄍㄜ
older male cousin (maternal or different surname), literally “outside older brother”
表 = 'outside' the surname line: children of mother's siblings AND father's sisters. The complementary class to 堂.
biǎojiěㄅㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄝˇ
older female cousin (different surname), literally “outside older sister”
The catch-all for cousins not in your surname line. 表亲 covers a lot of kin.
tángdìㄊㄤˊ ㄉㄧˋ
younger male cousin (same surname), literally “hall younger brother”
Age + lineage both encoded: there's no word for just 'cousin'.
biǎomèiㄅㄧㄠˇ ㄇㄟˋ
younger female cousin (different surname), literally “outside younger sister”
The cousin-was-the-love-interest trope in old novels: 表哥表妹 was the classic pair.
zhíziㄓˊ ㄗ˙
brother's son, literally “nephew (brother's side)”
Same-surname nephew: your brothers' sons inherit the line.
zhínǚㄓˊ ㄋㄩˇ
brother's daughter, literally “niece (brother's side)”
The surname-line niece. Sister's kids get the other word.
wàishengㄨㄞˋ ㄕㄥ˙
sister's son, literally “outside nephew”
Sister's son, marked 'outside' because the surname goes through his father.
wàishengnǚㄨㄞˋ ㄕㄥ˙ ㄋㄩˇ
sister's daughter, literally “outside niece”
Sister's daughter: outside-line niece.
yuèfùㄩㄝˋ ㄈㄨˋ
father-in-law (wife's father), literally “father-in-law”
Wife's father. Also 丈人. The relationship every new husband manages carefully.
yuèmǔㄩㄝˋ ㄇㄨˇ
mother-in-law (wife's mother), literally “mother-in-law”
Wife's mother, 丈母娘 colloquially. The '丈母娘推高房价' meme: she demands the apartment before marriage.
gōnggongㄍㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄥ˙
father-in-law (husband's father), literally “father-in-law”
Husband's father: the woman marries INTO the family in the traditional frame. Also the word for a eunuch in palace dramas, context saves it.
pópoㄆㄛˊ ㄆㄛ˙
mother-in-law (husband's mother), literally “mother-in-law”
Husband's mother: the 婆媳关系 mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict is China's longest-running domestic drama genre.
érxíㄦˊ ㄒㄧˊ
daughter-in-law, literally “son's wife”
Son's wife: joins the husband's family in the traditional frame. 儿媳妇.
nǚxuㄋㄩˇ ㄒㄩ˙
son-in-law, literally “daughter's husband”
Daughter's husband. 上门女婿 moves in with her family, historically marked, increasingly neutral.
dàjiùziㄉㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄗ˙
wife's older brother, literally “wife's elder brother”
The wife's-siblings set all uses 舅, transferred from the maternal-uncle logic: your kids will call him 舅舅.
xiǎojiùziㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄗ˙
wife's younger brother, literally “wife's younger brother”
Also mild slang for a moocher brother-in-law, from the stereotype of borrowing money.
大姨子
dàyíziㄉㄚˋ ㄧˊ ㄗ˙
wife's older sister, literally “wife's elder sister”
Wife's sister: 姨 again via the children's-eye logic.
xiǎoyíziㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄧˊ ㄗ˙
wife's younger sister, literally “wife's younger sister”
Loaded term in soap-opera plots: the 小姨子 crush is a whole genre.
大伯哥
dàbógēㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄛˊ ㄍㄜ
husband's older brother, literally “husband's elder brother”
Husband's older brother: the eldest who traditionally holds family authority.
xiǎoshūziㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄕㄨ ㄗ˙
husband's younger brother, literally “husband's younger brother”
The husband's-siblings set uses 叔: your kids call him 叔叔.
大姑子
dàgūziㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄨ ㄗ˙
husband's older sister, literally “husband's elder sister”
Husband's sister: the in-law with opinions in family dramas.
xiǎogūziㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄍㄨ ㄗ˙
husband's younger sister, literally “husband's younger sister”
The little sister-in-law, often the daughter-in-law's only ally or extra critic.
zhóuliㄓㄡˊ ㄌㄧ˙
wives of brothers (sisters-in-law to each other), literally “brothers' wives”
The relationship between brothers' wives: a word English doesn't have, and a friction Chinese families know intimately.
连襟 連襟
liánjīnㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄣ
husbands of sisters, literally “joined lapels”
Men married to sisters: joined by marriage-cloth. They traditionally share drinking tables.
qìngjiaㄑㄧㄥˋ ㄐㄧㄚ˙
child's spouse's parents (co-in-laws), literally “marriage family”
The word for YOUR child's in-laws: the two families married together. Read qìng not qīn here.
rùzhuìㄖㄨˋ ㄓㄨㄟˋ
to marry into the wife's family, literally “enter as赘 son-in-law”
The man joins her household and the children may take her surname. Historically stigmatized, now a choice.
dúshēngzǐㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄥ ㄗˇ
only son, literally “only-born son”
One-child-policy generation marker: 独生子女 defines a whole demographic cohort.
dúshēngnǚㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄥ ㄋㄩˇ
only daughter, literally “only-born daughter”
The generation of daughters who were entire family's hope.
shuāngbāotāiㄕㄨㄤ ㄅㄠ ㄊㄞ
twins, literally “double births”
The pair that shares a birthday. 龙凤胎 is boy-girl twins specifically.
龙凤胎 龍鳳胎
lóngfèngtāiㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄊㄞ
boy-girl twins, literally “dragon-phoenix twins”
The auspicious twin pairing: dragon boy, phoenix girl. The cultural ideal.
lǎodàㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄚˋ
the eldest, literally “old big”
Ranked sibling order: 老大 runs the family, also slang for 'boss'.
lǎo'èrㄌㄠˇ ㄦˋ
the second sibling, literally “old two”
Ranked address: 老二到 老幺. Also crass slang for male anatomy, handle with care.
老幺 老么
lǎoyāoㄌㄠˇ ㄧㄠ
the youngest sibling, literally “old youngest”
The last-born, the spoiled one. 幺 is the smallest number.
tóngyǎngxíㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄧㄤˇ ㄒㄧˊ
child bride raised in the groom's family, literally “child-raised wife”
Historical practice: girls raised in the future husband's home. Abolished but still in period dramas.
lǎobànㄌㄠˇ ㄅㄢˋ
old companion (spouse in old age), literally “old partner”
The word elderly couples use for each other: partner in old age.
lǎotóuziㄌㄠˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄗ˙
old man (one's husband), literally “old head”
Wife's grumbling endearment for her husband, also general 'old man'.
lǎotàipóㄌㄠˇ ㄊㄞˋ ㄆㄛˊ
old woman (one's wife), literally “old woman”
The husband's matching endearment, equally affectionate-grumpy.
quánjiāfúㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄈㄨˊ
family portrait (whole-family fortune), literally “whole-family blessing”
The New Year photo and the blessing it names: everyone under one roof.
zhǎngzǐㄓㄤˇ ㄗˇ
eldest son, literally “eldest son”
In the old frame the 长子 inherited the responsibility and the ancestors' shrine duty.
cìzǐㄘˋ ㄗˇ
second son, literally “next son”
Birth-order numbering formalized. 三子, 四子 follow the pattern.
páihángㄆㄞˊ ㄏㄤˊ
birth order ranking, literally “arrange order”
The system itself: families often call kids by rank (老三！) instead of names.
字辈 字輩
zìbèiㄗˋ ㄅㄟˋ
generation name (shared generational character), literally “generation character”
The clan poem: each generation shares one character in their name, so cousins' names reveal the order.
jiāpǔㄐㄧㄚ ㄆㄨˇ
genealogy book, literally “family record”
The clan registry, traditionally male-line only. Being written in is membership; being left out is exile.
xùxiánㄒㄩˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ
to remarry after a wife's death, literally “restring the lute”
Beautiful metaphor: the broken string restrung. Only for a widower remarrying.
yuánpèiㄩㄢˊ ㄆㄟˋ
first wife, literally “original spouse”
The original marriage partner: contrast with 二奶 or 小三 in soap opera terms.
fàqīㄈㄚˋ ㄑㄧ
first wife (married when young), literally “hair wife”
The wife married at hair-tying age, i.e., young. More literary than 原配.
āyíㄚ ㄧˊ
aunt / unrelated woman of mother's age, literally “auntie”
The universal polite address for women a generation up: mother's friend, the cleaner, any 阿姨.
dàgēㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄜ
big brother (address), literally “big brother”
Respectful address for any man slightly older: opens doors, starts conversations.
dàjiěㄉㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄝˇ
big sister (address), literally “big sister”
Respectful address for women slightly older: warmer than 小姐.
shīfuㄕ ㄈㄨ˙
master (address for workers/drivers), literally “master”
The working-class respectful address: taxi drivers, plumbers, craftspeople all answer to 师傅.
tóngzhìㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄓˋ
comrade, literally “same will”
The revolutionary-era universal address, now dated except in formal contexts or as slang for gay.
xiǎojiěㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄝˇ
miss / young woman (careful!), literally “little sister”
The trap: polite historically, now slang for sex worker in mainland speech. Use 美女 or 姐姐 instead.
dàyeㄉㄚˋ ㄧㄝ˙
elderly man (address), literally “big grandpa”
Polite address for men 60+: the park chess players, the morning exercisers.
dàmāㄉㄚˋ ㄇㄚ
elderly woman (address), literally “big mom”
The square-dancing grannies of China: 中国大妈 is a demographic stereotype.
tóngxuéㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄩㄝˊ
classmate / student address, literally “same study”
The universal address in academic settings: also used by teachers for students.
wángㄨㄤˊ
Wang: king (most common surname), literally “king”
#1 or #2 nationally: ~100 million people. The surname literally means 'king'.
李
lǐㄌㄧˇ
Li: plum, literally “plum”
The other giant: the Tang emperors' surname, ~100 million bearers.
zhāngㄓㄤ
Zhang: stretch/bow, literally “stretch”
Third place: the archer's name, 弓+长.
刘 劉
liúㄌㄧㄡˊ
Liu: Han dynasty name, literally “kill (archaic)”
The Han-imperial surname: Liu Bang founded the dynasty.
陈 陳
chénㄔㄣˊ
Chen: array/display, literally “display”
Huge in the south and the diaspora: Singapore, Taiwan.
杨 楊
yángㄧㄤˊ
Yang: poplar tree, literally “poplar”
The tree surname.
huángㄏㄨㄤˊ
Huang: yellow, literally “yellow”
The color surname: common in the south.
赵 趙
zhàoㄓㄠˋ
Zhao: the Song imperial name, literally “walk quickly”
First in the Hundred Surnames verse because the Song emperor was Zhao.
吴 吳
wúㄨˊ
Wu: ancient state name, literally “Wu (state)”
The Jiangnan surname: huge around Shanghai and the south.
zhōuㄓㄡ
Zhou: the dynasty name, literally “circumference”
The Zhou dynasty surname: Zhou Enlai bore it.
徐
xúㄒㄩˊ
Xu: slow/gentle, literally “slow”
The gentle surname.
孙 孫
sūnㄙㄨㄣ
Sun: grandson, literally “grandson”
Sun Yat-sen and Sun Tzu bore it: the strategist name.
mǎㄇㄚˇ
Ma: horse, literally “horse”
The animal surname: Muslims often take it （穆罕默德→马）.
朱
zhūㄓㄨ
Zhu: vermilion, literally “vermilion”
The Ming dynasty's imperial color-name.
húㄏㄨˊ
Hu: beard/northern barbarian, literally “beard”
The ancient border name.
郭
guōㄍㄨㄛ
Guo: city wall, literally “outer wall”
The outer-city surname.
héㄏㄜˊ
He: carry/what, literally “carry”
The question-word surname.
林
línㄌㄧㄣˊ
Lin: forest, literally “forest”
Double tree: huge in Fujian and Taiwan.
luóㄌㄨㄛˊ
Luo: net, literally “net”
The net surname.
郑 鄭
zhèngㄓㄥˋ
Zheng: ancient state, literally “solemn”
From the ancient state of Zheng.
梁
liángㄌㄧㄤˊ
Liang: beam/bridge, literally “beam”
The structural surname.
xièㄒㄧㄝˋ
Xie: thank, literally “thank”
The gratitude surname.
宋
sòngㄙㄨㄥˋ
Song: the dynasty, literally “Song”
Dynasty name: peak cultural era.
唐
tángㄊㄤˊ
Tang: the golden dynasty, literally “Tang”
The golden-age name: overseas Chinatowns are 唐人街 'Tang people streets'.
xǔㄒㄩˇ
Xu: permit/allow, literally “allow”
The permission surname.
韩 韓
hánㄏㄢˊ
Han: the state/Korea, literally “Han state”
From the Warring States kingdom.
冯 馮
féngㄈㄥˊ
Feng: gallop, literally “gallop”
Ice + horse: the galloping surname.
邓 鄧
dèngㄉㄥˋ
Deng: Deng Xiaoping's name, literally “Deng”
The reformer's surname.
曹
cáoㄘㄠˊ
Cao: Cao Cao's name, literally “class/group”
The Three Kingdoms schemer's name.
彭
péngㄆㄥˊ
Peng: drum sound, literally “drum sound”
The rhythmic surname.
肖
xiāoㄒㄧㄠ
Xiao: resembling (surname), literally “resemble”
Simplified-era replacement for 萧： the form stuck.
tiánㄊㄧㄢˊ
Tian: field, literally “field”
The farm surname.
董
dǒngㄉㄨㄥˇ
Dong: supervise, literally “supervise”
董事 board member shares the root.
潘
pānㄆㄢ
Pan: Pan Jinlian's infamous name, literally “Pan”
The surname of the Golden Lotus villainess: jokes persist.
袁
yuánㄩㄢˊ
Yuan: robe, literally “robe”
The robes surname.
蒋 蔣
jiǎngㄐㄧㄤˇ
Jiang: Chiang Kai-shek's name, literally “Jiang”
The Nationalist leader's surname.
蔡
càiㄘㄞˋ
Cai: sacrificial grass, literally “Cai”
The Fujian surname.
yúㄩˊ
Yu: surplus, literally “surplus”
The remainder surname.
杜
dùㄉㄨˋ
Du: pear tree, literally “Du tree”
The pear-tree surname: Du Fu the poet.
yèㄧㄝˋ
Ye: leaf, literally “leaf”
The leaf surname.
程
chéngㄔㄥˊ
Cheng: journey/rule, literally “rule”
The order surname.
苏 蘇
sūㄙㄨ
Su: revive/Soviet, literally “revive”
Su Shi the poet bore it.
魏
wèiㄨㄟˋ
Wei: the kingdom, literally “Wei”
Cao Cao's kingdom: the power surname.
吕 呂
lǚㄌㄩˇ
Lü: musical pitch, literally “pitch pipe”
Lü Bu the warrior bore it.
dīngㄉㄧㄥ
Ding: nail/fourth, literally “nail”
The simplest surname: two strokes.
姚
yáoㄧㄠˊ
Yao: the sage-king's name, literally “Yao”
Yao Ming's surname.
jiāngㄐㄧㄤ
Jiang: ginger, literally “ginger”
The spice surname, ancient clan name.
崔
cuīㄘㄨㄟ
Cui: towering, literally “towering”
The steep surname.
zhōngㄓㄨㄥ
Zhong: bell, literally “bell”
The bell surname.
谭 譚
tánㄊㄢˊ
Tan: talk, literally “talk”
The speech surname.
陆 陸
lùㄌㄨˋ
Lu: land, literally “land”
Surname lù, also the formal six 陆 in numbers.
汪
wāngㄨㄤ
Wang: vast waters, literally “vast water”
The watery surname.
范 範
fànㄈㄢˋ
Fan: model/mold, literally “model”
Fan Bingbing's surname.
jīnㄐㄧㄣ
Jin: gold, literally “gold”
The precious-metal surname, also Korean Kim.
zēngㄗㄥ
Zeng: great-grand (relation), literally “great-”
Careful: as a surname it's zēng, the adverb is céng.
rénㄖㄣˊ
Ren: duty, literally “entrust”
Surname reading is rén, the verb is rèn.
沈
shěnㄕㄣˇ
Shen: sink, literally “sink”
Not chén here: surname-specific reading.
zhāㄓㄚ
Zha: investigate (surname reads zha), literally “check”
Trap: not chá, as a surname it's zhā. Author 金庸 (Louis Cha) bore it.
xièㄒㄧㄝˋ
Xie: untie (surname reads xie), literally “untie”
Trap: not jiě here. Surname = xiè.
shànㄕㄢˋ
Shan: single (surname reads shan), literally “single”
Trap: not dān, surname = shàn.
ōuㄡ
Ou: district (surname reads ou), literally “district”
Trap: not qū, surname = ōu.
gěㄍㄜˇ
Ge: cover (surname reads ge), literally “cover”
Trap: usually gě as surname, some read gài.
繁
póㄆㄛˊ
Po: numerous (surname reads po), literally “complex”
Trap: surname = pó, not fán.
yuèㄩㄝˋ
Yue: joy (surname often reads yue), literally “joy”
Trap: surname usually yuè, some families read lè. Ask.
翟
zháiㄓㄞˊ
Zhai: long-tail pheasant, literally “pheasant”
Trap: surname zhái (dí for the ancient people).
欧阳 歐陽
Ōuyángㄡ ㄧㄤˊ
Ouyang: the most common compound surname, literally “Ou Yang”
The big two-character surname: famous enough to be common.
司马 司馬
Sīmǎㄙ ㄇㄚˇ
Sima: Minister of Horses, literally “command horse”
The Jin-dynasty imperial surname: Sima Qian the historian.
诸葛 諸葛
Zhūgěㄓㄨ ㄍㄜˇ
Zhuge: the strategist name, literally “various ge”
Zhuge Liang made it synonymous with genius.
Shàngguānㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄢ
Shangguan: high official, literally “upper official”
The officialdom surname.
皇甫
Huángfǔㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄈㄨˇ
Huangfu: august father, literally “august father”
The grand surname.
Dōngfāngㄉㄨㄥ ㄈㄤ
Dongfang: the east, literally “east direction”
The directional surname: 东方不败 the undefeated villain.
独孤 獨孤
Dúgūㄉㄨˊ ㄍㄨ
Dugu: lone solitude, literally “lone alone”
The Xiongnu-origin surname: 独孤求败 the kung-fu legend.
令狐
Lìnghúㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄏㄨˊ
Linghu: order fox, literally “order fox”
Jin Yong's hero 令狐冲 bore it: pronounced línghú.
慕容
Mùróngㄇㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ
Murong: Xianbei clan name, literally “Murong”
The steppe-origin surname from the northern dynasties.
fùxìngㄈㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ
compound surname, literally “compound surname”
Two-character family names: rarer, more memorable, often from ancient offices.
随母姓 隨母姓
suí mǔxìngㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ
taking the mother's surname, literally “follow mother surname”
The growing choice: second children sometimes take mom's name now, still newsworthy.
rǔmíngㄖㄨˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
milk name (baby nickname), literally “milk name”
The infant nickname: dogs, eggs, stones for humility before the real name.
贱名 賤名
jiànmíngㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
cheap name (warding off demons), literally “lowly name”
The protective tradition: names like 狗剩 'dog leftover' made kids unappealing to spirits.
bìhuìㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ
name taboo, literally “avoid taboo”
The old rule: never write or say the emperor's or ancestor's name, even shared characters.
名字梗
míngzi gěngㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗ˙ ㄍㄥˇ
name puns, literally “name meme”
The modern humor: 杜子腾 sounds like 肚子疼， 王者荣耀 the kid named after the game.
hàoㄏㄠˋ
literary name / alias, literally “mark”
The scholar's self-chosen name: Su Shi was 东坡居士, 'lay Buddhist of the eastern slope'.
zìㄗˋ
courtesy name, literally “character”
The adult-name custom: Confucius 孔丘字仲尼. Addressed elders and friends used the 字.
xìngmíngㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
full name, literally “surname name”
姓 surname + 名 given: surname first, always.
míngziㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗ˙
given name / full name, literally “name”
The given name: 起名字 is the naming ritual.
wàihàoㄨㄞˋ ㄏㄠˋ
nickname, literally “outside name”
The nickname: often unflattering, sometimes affectionate.
bǐmíngㄅㄧˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
pen name, literally “brush name”
Writers' aliases: Lu Xun's real name was Zhou Shuren.
网名 網名
wǎngmíngㄨㄤˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
screen name, literally “net name”
The internet identity: pseudonyms are the norm online.
起名字
qǐ míngziㄑㄧˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗ˙
naming a baby, literally “raise name”
The ritual: meaning, strokes, elements, and grandparents all weigh in.