亲戚 (qīn qi) — relative (family relation)

Definition

亲戚 covers the whole network of relatives by blood or marriage — aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws. Compare 亲人 (close immediate family only) and 亲属 (formal/written, often on documents).

noun
relative (family relation)
Measure word · 门, 个, 位

Examples

  • 亲戚。
    Wǒ yǒu hěn duō qīn qi.
    I have many relatives.
  • 亲戚。
    Zhè wèi qīn qi shì wǒ de ā yí.
    This relative is my aunt.
  • ，亲戚。
    Guò nián de shí hou, wǒ men huì qù kàn qīn qi.
    During the New Year, we go to visit relatives.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

亲qīnkin
戚qīrelative

亲 and 戚 both refer to family kin, so together they mean relatives.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
戊戊wùscythe
Sound part声符shēngfú
尗
尗shū戚qī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 戚 pairs 戊, a scythe-like cutting weapon, with 尗 as a sound hint; it was later borrowed to mean 'relative'.

Open 戚 →
Appears in
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