How to Say "Niece" in Chinese

侄女

zhínǚ

The English word "niece" is translated into Chinese as 侄女 (zhínǚ). Wiktionary also lists 姪女 / 侄女 (zhínǚ) and 甥女 (shēngnǚ).

Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)

Ways to say it

Use 侄女 to refer to a niece on the brother's side and 外甥女 to refer to a niece on the sister's side.

In the term 外甥女, the prefix 外 (wài) means "outside", which indicates that the niece belongs to the maternal side of the family.

Use 侄女 specifically for a niece who is the daughter of one's brother, while 外甥女 is used specifically for a niece who is the daughter of one's sister.

zhínǚ

The distinction between 侄女 and 外甥女 reflects a historical social structure where paternal lineages were considered 'inside' and maternal lineages were considered 'outside'.
In traditional Chinese culture, the roles and expectations for a 侄女 and an 外甥女 differed based on whether they would inherit the family name or stay in their father's household.
In some dialects or very traditional settings, failing to use the correct term for a niece can be seen as a lack of respect for proper family hierarchy.

她是我的外甥女。
She is my niece (sister's daughter).
小玲是我侄女儿。
Xiaoling is my niece.
我的侄女很可爱。
Wǒ de zhínǚ hěn kě'ài.
My niece is very cute.
他是他的侄女的爸爸。
Tā shì tā de zhínǚ de bàba.
He is his niece's father.
他的侄女今年五岁了。
Tā de zhínǚ jīnnián wǔ suì le.
His niece is five years old this year.

Wei is showing a photo to Yuting.

伟 Wei

你看，这是我的侄女。
Nǐ kàn, zhè shì wǒ de zhínǚ.
Look, this is my niece.
雨婷 Yuting

她好可爱啊！
Tā hǎo kě'ài a!
She is so cute!
伟 Wei

她现在在学走路。
Tā xiànzài zài xué zǒulù.
She is learning to walk now.
雨婷 Yuting

真是个可爱的小姑娘。
Zhēn shì gè kě'ài de xiǎo gūniang.
What a cute little girl.

Sources

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