堂兄
tángxiōng
In Chinese, the English word "cousin" is expressed through several specific terms. The default form is 堂兄 (tángxiōng). Wiktionary also lists 堂哥 (tánggē) and 堂弟 (tángdì).
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 堂兄 | tángxiōng |
| 堂哥 | tánggē |
| 堂弟 | tángdì |
| 堂姐 | tángjiě |
| 堂姊 | oFBD |
| 堂妹 | tángmèi |
| 表兄 | biǎoxiōng |
| 表哥 | biǎogē |
| 表弟 | biǎodì |
| 表姐 | biǎojiě |
| 表姊 | biǎozǐ |
| 表妹 | biǎomèi |
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify the gender and age of the cousin, you must append one of the four kinship terms for siblings to the 堂 or 表 prefix. These suffixes are 兄, 弟, 姐 and 妹.
How do you pronounce it?
tángxiōng
Did you know?
- The term 堂 (táng) literally means 'hall' or 'ancestral hall', signifying that these cousins share the same paternal family residence and lineage.
- The prefix 表 (biǎo) can also mean 'surface' or 'external', which historically distinguished the 'outside' relatives from the 'inside' family of the paternal line.
- Chinese kinship terms for cousins are so specific that they can indicate whether the relative is the child of a father's elder brother or a father's younger brother.
Examples in context
- 我不知道汤姆是你的堂兄。I didn't know Tom was your cousin.This sentence shows how to use 堂兄 to identify a specific cousin.Tatoeba #9971443 by GlossaMatik, translation #6247374 by CK
- 我的表兄弟太过沉浸于学业，以致于他的朋友们唤他作书虫。My cousin is so steeped in schoolwork that his friends call him bookworm.This sentence uses 表兄 to refer to a male cousin.Tatoeba #2690857 by sadhen, translation #2690671 by aq_aria
- 海倫，這是我的表弟。Helen, this is my cousin.This sentence uses 表弟 to introduce a cousin.Tatoeba #833087 by Martha, translation #33857 by CN
- 我和我的表妹关系非常好。I have a very close relationship with my female cousin.
- 她是我妈妈这边的表姐。She is my cousin from my mother's side.
- 他是我妈妈这边的表弟。He is my cousin from my mother's side.
- 我表哥很聪明。My male cousin is very intelligent.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei introduces his relative to Jiayi at a party.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，这位是我的堂兄。Jiāyí, zhè wèi shì wǒ de tángxiōng.Jiayi, this is my cousin.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你好！很高兴认识你。Nǐ hǎo! Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ.Hello! It is nice to meet you.
- 伟 Wei他现在在上海工作。Tā xiànzài zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò.He is currently working in Shanghai.
- 佳怡 Jiayi原来如此，欢迎来到这里。Yuánlái rúcǐ, huānyíng lái dào zhèlǐ.I see, welcome here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cousin” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
