亲属

親屬

qīnshǔ

noun HSK 6 #11,809

Measure Word

一位亲属 wèi

Meanings

1 relatives; kin; family members
2 next of kin

Characters

close; related; parent

to belong to; category; subordinate

Those who belong to the family — people related by blood or marriage.

Examples

请填写您的亲属信息。

Qǐng tiánxiě nín de qīnshǔ xìnxī.

Please fill in your relatives' information.

他在这个城市没有亲属。

Tā zài zhège chéngshì méiyǒu qīnshǔ.

He has no relatives in this city.

亲属关系很复杂。

Qīnshǔ guānxi hěn fùzá.

Family relationships are very complex.

只有亲属才能探望病人。

Zhǐyǒu qīnshǔ cái néng tànwàng bìngrén.

Only relatives can visit the patient.

Tips

usage

亲属 is the formal/legal term for relatives. In everyday speech, Chinese people say 亲戚 (qīnqi) for relatives or 家人 (jiārén) for family. 亲属 appears on forms, in legal documents, and in medical contexts (紧急联系人/亲属, emergency contact/next of kin).

culture

Chinese kinship terminology is famously complex. There are different words for maternal vs. paternal relatives, older vs. younger siblings, and even birth order. For example: 伯父 (bófù, father's older brother) vs. 叔叔 (shūshu, father's younger brother) — both are just 'uncle' in English.

Stroke Order

亲 qīn

属 shǔ