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Relative Title Calculator

Not sure what to call them at family gatherings? Two clicks and you know

No. 1 step · pick a relation

Current relation chain

Me
Elders / Parents
Spouse / Children
Siblings

You should call them

Me
Pick a relation above to start

Common relations

ChainTerm of address
Father's fatherGrandpa (paternal)
Mother's motherMaternal grandmother
Father's older brotherUncle
Father's younger brotherUncle
Father's older sisterAunt
Mother's brothersUncle
Father's brother's son (older than you)Elder male cousin (paternal)
Mother's brother's daughter (younger than you)Younger female cousin
Older sister's sonNephew (sister's son)
Son's wifeDaughter-in-law
Husband's fatherFather-in-law (husband's)
Wife's motherMother-in-law (wife's)
Regional terms vary a lot (e.g. 外公/姥爷); this tool gives the most common term.

About this Family Relation Calculator

The scariest part of Chinese New Year visits is calling a relative by the wrong title: your father's older brother is bolu (uncle), your mother's brothers are jiushu (uncles), sons of your father's brothers are tang cousins, and same-generation relatives on your mother's side are biao cousins. One twist further and most people are lost.

This tool solves it with "relation chains": starting from "me", tap father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, older brother, younger brother, older sister or younger sister in turn, and it builds the chain live and gives the correct form of address — e.g. "father's older brother's son → older tang cousin". A full kinship algorithm is built in, so even long chains compute correctly. Tap "Step back" to undo.

How to use

  1. Start from "me" — tap the first relative (e.g. Dad, Mom)
  2. Keep tapping to build the chain — it updates live
  3. If you tap wrong, click "Step back" to undo
  4. When no standard term exists, the chain is described in words so you can judge

FAQ

What's the difference between 堂 and 表 cousins?
In short: children of your father's brothers are tang (same surname, e.g. children of bolu and shushu), while children of your father's sisters and same-generation relatives on your mother's side are biao (e.g. older biao cousins). Regional customs vary slightly.
How many relationship layers are supported?
Any depth. The tool ships with a complete Chinese kinship algorithm — from two layers (father's older brother) to five or six (grandfather's older brother's daughter's son) — and for a few obscure relations it describes the chain in words instead.
Northern and southern terms differ — what now?
Titles like maternal grandfathers and grandmothers and paternal aunts vary by region; the tool picks the more common form — just go with your hometown's custom.
Related:Relative Title Calculator · Relative title calculator · Extended family · Generation terms · Tang vs. biao cousins · CNY terms

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