Lesson 3: Talking About Family
第三课：谈家庭
Chinese + Pinyin + English — Family Conversations
Family is an essential part of life, and in Chinese, there are many words and phrases used to describe family members, relationships, and everyday interactions. Learning how to talk about your family will help you communicate more naturally in daily conversations and introduce yourself in various contexts.
家庭是生活中不可或缺的一部分，在中文中有很多词汇和表达方式用来描述家庭成员、关系以及日常交流。学习如何谈论家庭可以帮助你在日常对话中更自然地交流，并在不同场合自我介绍。
1. Vocabulary | 词汇
Below are key family vocabulary words commonly used in Chinese. Practice pronouncing them using Pinyin and remember their meanings in English.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 家 | jiā | Family / Home |
| 妈妈 | māma | Mother / Mom |
| 爸爸 | bàba | Father / Dad |
| 哥哥 | gēge | Older Brother |
| 姐姐 | jiějie | Older Sister |
| 弟弟 | dìdi | Younger Brother |
| 妹妹 | mèimei | Younger Sister |
| 爷爷 | yéye | Grandfather (paternal) |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | Grandmother (paternal) |
| 外公 | wàigōng | Grandfather (maternal) |
| 外婆 | wàipó | Grandmother (maternal) |
2. Grammar: Talking About Family | 语法：谈论家庭
In Chinese, there are several common sentence structures for talking about family members, relationships, and quantity. These include possession, descriptions, and counting family members.
我有 + (number) + 家人/兄弟姐妹— I have ... family members / siblings是is used to describe identity or relationship:我是老师 / 我是中国人— I am a teacher / I am Chinese的is used for possession or description:我的妈妈 / 我爸爸的工作— my mother / my father's job
Example: 我有两个妹妹。
Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè mèimei. — I have two younger sisters.
Using these patterns, you can describe your family, introduce your relatives, or explain family relationships. Practice replacing the numbers and family members according to your own family.
3. Example Sentences | 例句
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我有一个妹妹。 | wǒ yǒu yí gè mèimei. | I have one younger sister. |
| 这是我的妈妈。 | zhè shì wǒ de māma. | This is my mother. |
| 他是我的哥哥。 | tā shì wǒ de gēge. | He is my older brother. |
| 我有两个哥哥和一个姐姐。 | wǒ yǒu liǎng gè gēge hé yí gè jiějie. | I have two older brothers and one older sister. |
| 我爷爷是退休医生。 | wǒ yéye shì tuìxiū yīshēng. | My grandfather is a retired doctor. |
| 我奶奶喜欢种花。 | wǒ nǎinai xǐhuān zhòng huā. | My grandmother likes gardening. |
4. Conversation Practice | 会话练习
A: 你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are there in your family?
B: 我家有五口人：爸爸、妈妈、一个哥哥、一个妹妹和我。
Wǒ jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén: bàba, māma, yí gè gēge, yí gè mèimei hé wǒ.
There are five people in my family: father, mother, one older brother, one younger sister, and me.
A: 你爸爸做什么工作？
Nǐ bàba zuò shénme gōngzuò?
What does your father do?
B: 我爸爸是工程师。
Wǒ bàba shì gōngchéngshī.
My father is an engineer.
A: 你妈妈呢？
Nǐ māma ne?
How about your mother?
B: 我妈妈是老师。
Wǒ māma shì lǎoshī.
My mother is a teacher.
A: 你爷爷奶奶住在哪里？
Nǐ yéye nǎinai zhù zài nǎlǐ?
Where do your grandparents live?
B: 我爷爷奶奶住在乡下。
Wǒ yéye nǎinai zhù zài xiāngxià.
My grandparents live in the countryside.
5. Learning Tips | 学习建议
- Practice speaking these sentences out loud daily to improve fluency.
- Replace family members and numbers to describe your own family.
- Try writing short paragraphs introducing your family in Chinese.
- Listen to native speakers and repeat the sentences to improve pronunciation.
- Create flashcards for family vocabulary and review them every day.
6. Summary | 总结
In this lesson, you learned how to talk about your family in Chinese, including vocabulary, sentence structures, and conversation patterns. Mastering these phrases allows you to confidently introduce your family members, talk about relationships, and share personal details in conversations.
Practice daily, add more family-related sentences, and soon you will be able to have longer, natural conversations in Chinese about family and personal life.
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© BTrean24h • Lesson 3 • Talking About Family