Father's father
Grandfather
- Mandarin
- 爷爷yéye
- Hokkien
- 阿公a-kong
- Cantonese
- 爷爷je4 je2
- Hakka
- 阿公a-gung
- English
- Paternal Grandfather
- Malay
- Datuk (sebelah bapa)
Kinship term calculator
Auntie? Uncle?
Get the name right.
Tap a few relationship keys and see what to call any relative in Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka or Mandarin, and how to say it in English and Malay.
- 220kinship terms
- 6languages
- On deviceyour family's details never leave it
New Year visits, wedding tea ceremonies, Qingming:
there's always one relative you can't name.
The same person goes by a different title in Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka, and once you marry, the titles shift to follow your spouse's side. The elder is standing right there, and the word is stuck on the tip of your tongue.
-
Chinese New Year
Titles, red packets, gifts and a New Year challenge: run through them before the house visits.
-
Weddings
A terms guide, a pre-wedding name list and banquet table cards, so you meet the new family one by one.
-
Qingming and ancestors
Ancestor titles, the rites, the five mourning grades, and a way to teach children who came before them.
How it works
Tap it out like a calculator,
and get the right title.
-
Choose how to say it
Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, English or Malay. The app itself can be set to English, Melayu or Chinese.
-
Tap the relationship keys
Mother, of, mother: that is your mum's mum. Or just search, for example 伯父 (bófù) or uncle.
-
See what to call them
The term and its romanisation appear at once, with the reason behind it: your mother's mother, two generations above you.
Six languages
One relative, six ways to say it.
Four examples from the app. The terms come from its built-in kinship table; customs differ between regions and families, so your own family has the last word.
Terms in red differ from the Mandarin one.
Mother's mother
Grandmother
- Mandarin
- 外婆wàipó
- Hokkien
- 外嬷guā-má
- Cantonese
- 外婆ngoi6 po4
- Hakka
- 外婆ngoi-po
- English
- Maternal Grandmother
- Malay
- Nenek (sebelah ibu)
Elder brother's wife
Sister-in-law
- Mandarin
- 嫂子sǎozi
- Hokkien
- 阿嫂a-só
- Cantonese
- 大嫂daai6 sou2
- Hakka
- 阿嫂a-sau
- English
- Elder Brother's Wife
- Malay
- Kakak ipar (isteri abang)
Younger brother
Younger than you
- Mandarin
- By name
- Hokkien
- 小弟sió-tī
- Cantonese
- 细佬sai3 lou2
- Hakka
- 老弟lo-ti
- English
- Younger Brother
- Malay
- Adik lelaki
Occasion guides
Every occasion,
with a guide of its own.
Not just one term at a time. When the day comes: who to greet, what to call them and what to say, step by step.
Chinese New Year
Titles, red packets, gifts and a New Year challenge.
Weddings
A terms guide, checklists and table cards.
Funerals
Titles, the five mourning grades and etiquette.
Qingming and ancestors
Ancestor titles, the rites and the five mourning grades.
Mid-Autumn and Dragon Boat
Reunions, mooncakes and rice dumplings: how families mark them, what to bring and what to say.
Elders' birthdays
Titles, gifts, birthday wishes, longevity noodles and how to count traditional age.
Hospital visits and gatherings
The titles you need when visiting someone unwell or at a family get-together.
Beyond the family
Polite titles for neighbours, friends' parents and colleagues.
The wedding guide keeps two things apart: what you call someone to their face, and how you refer to them when talking to others. After marriage you usually follow your spouse's usage; every family differs, so theirs comes first.
- Tea ceremony prep
- Engagement and betrothal gifts
- Pre-wedding name list
- Banquet table cards
- The first “Mum” and “Dad”
Family tree and poster
Add your family one by one,
then turn them into a poster.
Family tree
Add members step by step to build your real family. Everyone is sorted into grandparents, parents, your generation and children, and shown with the term you chose.
- Imports and exports GEDCOM (7.0 and 5.5.1), the standard family-tree format
- On export, living relatives and anyone under 18 are hidden by default
- Before a file is written, it lists what will be left out
Family poster
Turn your family tree into a poster that is yours alone: 8 occasions including Chinese New Year, Qingming and Mid-Autumn, with zodiac and festival backgrounds.
- New Year red and gold
- Ink black
- Rice paper
- Deep teal
- Night blue
- Bamboo-leaf green
Share it as an image, print it or save it as a PDF, with a print-ready A4 or A3 version.
Your family's details
stay on your device.
-
Kept on this device
Names, dates, places, notes and photos in your family tree are stored on the device you are holding.
-
Careful exports
When you export a family-tree file, living relatives and members under 18 are hidden by default.
-
Yours to take or delete
Export or delete all of your data from inside the app, without having to contact us.
Questions
Which languages does it cover?
Six for the terms: Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, English and Malay. The app itself can be set to English, Melayu or Chinese.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Open it and start working out terms; your family tree and settings stay on your device.
If I change phones, does my family tree come with me?
The tree lives on your phone, so before you switch, export a backup from the Family tab and import it on the new phone.
Are the terms always right?
They come from the app's kinship table, which we keep checking. Usage differs between places and families, so go with what your family says.
Where do I get it?
Tap the download button on this page and install it on your Android phone.