How do you say "cousin" in Chinese?

表亲

biǎo qīn

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "cousin" is 表亲 (biǎo qīn).

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Pronunciation

Read it out as "biǎo qīn", "biǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "qīn" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).

Writing and usage

表亲 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

我表弟假期时来访。

wǒ biǎo dì jià qī shí lái fǎng 。

My cousin visited during the holidays.

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How to remember 表亲

Whisper "biǎo qīn" to yourself while picturing the word in action — that pairing helps "表亲" (biǎo qīn) stay put.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 表亲

How do you pronounce 表亲?

Read it out as "biǎo qīn", "biǎo" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "qīn" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).

Is 表亲 formal or casual?

表亲 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 表亲 used in Chinese?

表亲 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 我表弟假期时来访。 (My cousin visited during the holidays.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Cousin" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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