Chinese Vocabulary: Social Relations
An essential collection of Chinese vocabulary related to social relations. Suitable for beginners.
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一群朋友 (yī qún péngyou)
Group of friends
The Chinese phrase '一群朋友' refers to a group or gathering of friends. It is used to describe a social setting where a definite number of friends gather. It can be used in a sentence much similar to its English counterpart. For example, '我和我的一群朋友去夜店' translates to 'I am going to the club with a group of my friends.'
丈夫 (zhàngfu)
husband
The Chinese word for husband is 丈夫. It is often used in the same context as in English, to refer to a married man considered in relation to his spouse.
主人 (zhǔ rén)
host
In Chinese, '主人' refers to a person who receives or entertains other people as guests. It is often used in both social and official scenarios. For example, the host of a party or the host of a television show can both be called '主人'. The character '主' means 'main or leading' and '人' means 'person', in combination they refer to someone who takes the leading role in welcoming and entertaining others.
Example sentences with 主人 →伙伴 (huǒbàn)
partner
It is used to suggest a sense of camaraderie or shared task or goals, such as a working partner or a partner in crime. It is a commonly-used term among friends.
Example sentences with 伙伴 →儿子 (ér zi)
son
The word '儿子' in Chinese is used in the same context as it is in English. It's used to denote the male offspring of parents. It's a common term used in the family context to refer to a boy or a young adult male. It can be used together with possessive pronouns to signify possession. For instance, '我的儿子' means 'my son'.
Example sentences with 儿子 →兄弟 (xiōngdì)
The brother
The Chinese word for 'brother' is '兄弟'. It is used to refer to a male sibling. It can also be used in a more general sense to refer to a close male friend or associate, similar to how 'brother' is used in English.
关系 (guān xì)
relationship
In Chinese, '关系' (guānxì) is a commonly used word to express 'relationship'. It covers the meaning of connections or associations in broad senses like between people, objects, or concepts. It can be used in various contexts such as family relationship ('家庭关系') or work relationship ('工作关系').
最好的朋友 (zuì hǎo de péng yǒu)
Best friend
In Chinese, '最好的朋友' is used to describe a person's closest friend. This term is used in both formal and informal contexts. It can be used among peers and also between family members to express the deep bond of friendship.
单一的 (dān yī de)
single
In Chinese, '单一的' means 'single'. It can be used to describe something that is only one in number, sheer, or solitary. For example, in the phrase '单一的市场', it means 'single market'.
参观 (cān guān)
visit
The Chinese word '参观' is used in the same contexts as the English word 'visit'. It can refer to visiting a person, a place, an institution, etc. For example, you can say '我明天要参观博物馆' which translates to 'I will visit the museum tomorrow'.
友谊 (yǒuyì)
friendship
This term is used to refer to the emotions or conduct of friends, or the state of being friends. It is one of the commonly used words in Chinese to express the affection between friends.
Example sentences with 友谊 →叔叔/阿姨 (shū shū/ā yí)
Uncle/Aunt
The Chinese words '叔叔' and '阿姨' can both denote 'uncle' or 'aunt'. However, '叔叔' is commonly used for the younger brother of one's father, while '阿姨' refers to the sister of one's father or the wife of one's father's brother. These words can also be used out of respect for an older male or older female figure whether they're family related or not.
同事 (tóng shì)
colleague
The word '同事' in Chinese is used exactly the same as the word 'colleague' in English. It refers to a person with whom one works, particularly in a profession or business. You can use it in different situations whether at work or social gatherings.
同伴 (tóngbàn)
companion
This term refers to a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels. It is frequently used in expressing the company relationship.
Example sentences with 同伴 →同学 (tóngxué)
classmate
'同学' is very commonly-used word in Chinese schools. It is used to refer to someone who is in the same class or school as you.
Example sentences with 同学 →同志 (tóng zhì)
comrade
In Chinese, '同志' (comrade) is a term traditionally used in a political context to denote a member of a socialist or communist party. In the modern context, it is also commonly used to refer to a fellow worker or colleague in daily conversation. Remember to use it in proper context as not to create a inadvertent political connotation.
吻 (wěn)
kiss
The Chinese word '吻' is used to express the physical act of affectionately kissing someone, as in English. It can be used in contexts referring to both platonic and romantic love, and just like English, it can also refer to a light touch or brush against something in a metaphorical sense.
Example sentences with 吻 →夫妻 (fū qī)
couple
The Chinese word '夫妻' is used to represent a married man and woman, or a romantically involved pair. In short, it refers to a couple. It is used in similar contexts as the English word 'couple', meaning two individuals who share a romantic or sexual relationship.
女人 (nǚ rén)
woman
The Chinese word for 'woman' is '女人' (nǚ rén). This term is used almost identically and as broadly as 'woman' in English, referring to an adult human female. In different contexts, it can refer to a wife, girlfriend, female friend, or any women in general.
女儿 (nǚ'ér)
daughter
In Chinese, the term for daughter is '女儿', pronounced 'nǚ'ér'. This word is often used in the same contexts it would be in English, to refer to one's female child. It can be used in both formal and casual conversation.
女士 (nǚ shì)
lady
In Chinese, '女士' is used to respectably refer to an adult woman. It can be used in formal conversations or when addressing someone in a polite manner. It's a very useful word to learn when engaging in social or professional interactions.
奶奶 (Nǎinai)
The grandmother
The Chinese word '奶奶' refers to one's paternal grandmother. It's often used among family members and is a respectful and affectionate term used to refer to an elderly woman in one's family. When speaking formally or writing, you might hear or see the term '祖母', which is a more formal term for grandmother.
姐妹 (jiěmèi)
The sister
The word '姐妹' in Chinese is used to refer to a girl or woman in relation to other daughters of her parents. It can be used to address a female sibling, or even, in some contexts, a very close friend who is like a sister. It is often used in familial and close-knit social contexts.
孩子们 (hái zi men)
The children
In Chinese, '孩子们' is used to refer to more than one child or a group of children. It's often used in talking about children in general or when addressing a group of children.
客人 (kè rén)
guest
The Chinese word '客人' is used to refer someone who is invited or paying to stay in a place, such as a house, hotel or any other place similar to how the English word 'guest' is used. It is often used in both formal and informal context.
室友 (shì yǒu)
roommate
In Chinese, roommate is translated as '室友'. It is used to refer to a person who shares a room or apartment with another. The term is commonly used among students in universities and colleges who often share their living quarters with fellow students.
家庭 (jiā tīng)
family
In Chinese, the word '家庭' means family. It is a term that is used to describe close relations by either blood ties or marriage. It often refers to people living together under the same roof, and it is a central and fundamental concept in Chinese culture.
密友 (mìyǒu)
close friend
'密友' is a level up from a '好友'. This term is used to describe a best friend or someone you're really close to.
Example sentences with 密友 →成员 (chéng yuán)
member
The Chinese word '成员' is used to indicate a person belonging to a specific group, organization, or a team. It is used similarly as 'member' in English.
扇子 (shàn zi)
fan
In Chinese, 'fan' translates to '扇子(shànzi)'. It is used both for something that is used to create a cooling air current, especially a handheld item often made of paper or fabric on a folding frame, and an object made in the shape of a segment of a circle, typically out of paper or fabric, that is waved so as to cool the person holding it.
Example sentences with 扇子 →Page 1 of 2
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