HSK6 – Family and Emotion Words

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Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇

Family and Emotion Words in Chinese

家庭与情感词汇 jiātíng yǔ qínggǎn cíhuì

In traditional Chinese culture, many parents are quite pessimistic (悲观, bēiguān). Children often grow up without hearing words like 骄傲 (jiāo’ào) or 自豪 (zìháo, “proud”) from their parents. When you do well, the usual reply is 不要骄傲 (bú yào jiāo’ào) (“don’t get arrogant”). When you feel 委屈 (wěiqu) (wronged) at school, parents often tell you to 忍耐 (rěnnài, “put up with it”). Children who grow up this way naturally don’t dare to 反抗 (fǎnkàng, “push back”) against society once they enter it.

But young people today are changing this, step by step. This lesson starts with the family members who raise us, and then moves on to the emotions that come with family life.

Family and relatives

Family and Relative Words in Chinese

ChinesePinyinEnglishKoreanJapanese
夫人fūrénWife; madam; Mrs.부인夫人
姑姑gūguFather’s sister; paternal aunt고모父方のおば
家属jiāshǔFamily members; dependents가족; 식구家族
舅舅jiùjiuMother’s brother; maternal uncle외삼촌母方のおじ
亲属qīnshǔRelatives친척親族
外甥wàishengSister’s son; nephew조카(누이의 아들)甥(姉妹の息子)
媳妇xífuDaughter-in-law며느리嫁; 息子の妻
姨yíMother’s sister; maternal aunt이모母方のおば
婴儿yīng’érBaby; infant아기; 영아赤ちゃん
长辈zhǎngbèiElder; older generation윗사람; 어른目上の人
侄子zhíziBrother’s son; nephew조카(형제의 아들)甥(兄弟の息子)
祖先zǔxiānAncestor조상先祖

家属 (jiāshǔ) vs 亲属 (qīnshǔ)

亲属 (qīnshǔ) means relatives, people who are related to you by blood or marriage. 家属 (jiāshǔ) means the family members of a particular person, such as the family of a patient or the dependents of a worker.

媳妇 (xífu)

媳妇 (xífu) usually means “daughter-in-law.” In some regions, especially in northern China, people also use it for “wife.”

Putting it all together

Examples

我的wǒ de姑姑gūgu和hé舅舅jiùjiu都dōu来lái看kàn刚gāng出生chūshēng的de婴儿yīng’érMy aunt and uncle both came to see the newborn baby.

清明节qīngmíng jié时shí，长辈zhǎngbèi会huì带dài全家人quánjiārén去qù祭拜jìbài祖先zǔxiānDuring the Qingming Festival, the elders take the whole family to pay respects to the ancestors.

Heart and mood

Feeling and Emotion Words in Chinese

ChinesePinyinEnglishKoreanJapanese
悲观bēiguānPessimistic비관적인悲観的な
悲伤bēishāngSad; sorrowful슬픈悲しい
不安bù’ānUneasy; restless불안한不安な
愤怒fènnùAnger; furious분노怒り
孤独gūdúAlone; solitary고독한孤独な
欢乐huānlèJoy; happiness즐거움楽しさ
灰心huīxīnDiscouraged낙심하다がっかりする
焦虑jiāolǜAnxious; anxiety불안; 초조不安; 焦り
寂寞jìmòLonely; lonesome외로운; 쓸쓸한寂しい
恐惧kǒngjùFear; dread공포恐怖
委屈wěiquFeeling wronged; aggrieved억울한悔しい; 理不尽な思いをする
自豪zìháoProud자랑스러운誇りに思う

孤独 (gūdú) vs 寂寞 (jìmò)

Both are about being lonely, but 孤独 (gūdú) is being alone, a state without company. 寂寞 (jìmò) is the feeling of loneliness, the empty and bored feeling of having no one to talk to.

委屈 (wěiqu)

委屈 (wěiqu) is a feeling that is hard to translate: you feel hurt and sad because you have been treated unfairly or misunderstood, but you can’t fully explain yourself.

Putting it all together

Examples

他tā一个人yí ge rén在zài国外guówài，常常chángcháng觉得juéde孤独gūdú又yòu寂寞jìmòHe is alone abroad and often feels lonely.

考试kǎoshì失败shībài以后yǐhòu，他tā很hěn灰心huīxīn，也yě很hěn焦虑jiāolǜAfter failing the exam, he felt discouraged and also very anxious.

Test yourself

Vocabulary Quiz

HSK6
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