亲戚
The English phrase 'relatives' is translated into Chinese as 亲戚.
亲戚 is used to refer to relatives. You may often see it used in the set expression 亲戚朋友, which refers to one's social circle of both family and friends. Other common terms for specific family members include 叔叔 for uncles and 姨妈 for aunts.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 亲 (qīn), meaning 'close' or 'parent/relative' and 戚 (qī), an archaic term for 'relative'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In mainland China, 姑妈 is used for aunts and 表姐 is used for older female cousins. In southern parts of China, some people may use 阿妈 instead of 妈妈 to address their mothers.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the suffix 们 can be added to 亲戚 to explicitly indicate plurality, it is often omitted in natural speech as the context usually makes the number clear.
Did you know?
- The character 戚 (qī) in the word 亲戚 was originally a pictograph representing an axe or a tool used in sacrificial rites.
- The term 亲 (qīn) also functions as a modern internet slang in China, where people call each other 'dear' or 'close one' in online shopping.
- The word 亲戚 is often used in the context of 走亲戚, which literally means 'walking relatives'. This refers to the traditional custom of visiting family members during holidays like the Lunar New Year.
Examples in context
- 我常常访问我的亲戚。I often visit my relatives.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say you often visit your relatives.Tatoeba #2174213 by sadhen, translation #2174962 by CM
- 她没有任何亲戚朋友照顾她。She doesn't have any friends or relatives to take care of her.This sentence shows how to express that someone lacks friends or relatives to care for them.Tatoeba #332712 by fucongcong, translation #308766 by CK
- 请问，您的父母现在身体如何？(Qǐngwèn, nín de fùmǔ xiànzài shēntǐ rúhé?)Excuse me, how are your parents doing now?
- 我的兄弟姐妹都住在外地。(Wǒ de xiōngdì jiěmèi dōu zhù zài wàidì.)My siblings all live in another city.
- 哥哥，你能帮我修电脑吗？(Gēge, nǐ néng bāng wǒ xiū diànnǎo ma?)Brother, can you help me fix the computer?
- 过年时，家里会有很多亲戚。Guònián shí, jiālǐ huì yǒu hěnduō qīnqi.During the New Year, there will be many relatives at home.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing family gatherings during the holidays.
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，过年你打算做什么？Zhìqiáng, guònián nǐ dǎsuàn zuò shénme?Zhiqiang, what do you plan to do during the New Year?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我要去见见远方的亲戚。Wǒ yào qù jiànjiàn yuǎnfāng de qīnqi.I am going to visit some distant relatives.
- 雨婷 Yuting那一定很有意思。Nà yīdìng hěn yǒuyìsi.That must be very interesting.
- 志强 Zhiqiang是啊，大家很久没见了。Shì a, dàjiā hěnjiǔ méi jiàn le.Yes, it has been a long time since we all saw each other.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
