You’ll see some familiar characters that you’ve already learned:Įventually, most people will start a family of their own. The word changes depending on whether your cousin is a boy or girl, and whether they are younger or older. father’s younger brother’s wife (婶婶 – shěn shen)Īnd you thought English had a lot of names for family relationships! So what happens when your uncles and aunts have children? As you’ve probably guessed by now, there are a bunch of Chinese words that can be used.father’s older brother’s wife (伯母 – bó mǔ).Let’s start out with your immediate family – the people who brought you into this world and the people you grew up in the same house with: Whichever word you use, sooner or later you’ll need to introduce the people in your family. Or, if you prefer, you can use yet another word for “ family” (家庭 – jiā tíng). This character can also mean “home,” so to avoid confusion, you can add the character for “ people” (人 – rén) to show that you’re talking about the people in your family (家人 – jiā rén). First of all, you can use one Chinese character to mean “ family” (家 – jiā).
In order to help you discuss your family in Chinese, I’m going to introduce some useful vocabulary. Of course, the many words used to describe relationships in a family can be confusing.
After all, where would we be without our family? When learning a new language, this topic always comes up. This new edition includes the original illustrations by Kathryn Uhl and features an introduction by Leslie Bow, who critically examines the changing reception and enduring legacy of the book and offers insight into Wong’s life as an artist and an ambassador of Chinese American culture.Family is important in all cultures around the world. It was written at a time when few portraits of Asian American life were available, and no similar works were as popular and broadly appealing.
The US State Department even sent its charismatic young author on a four-month speaking tour throughout Asia.Ĭited as an influence by prominent Chinese American writers such as Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston, Fifth Chinese Daughter is a foundational work in Asian American literature. Originally published in 1950, Fifth Chinese Daughter was one of the most widely read works by an Asian American author in the twentieth century. Jade Snow Wong’s autobiography portrays her coming-of-age in San Francisco's Chinatown, offering a rich depiction of her immigrant family and her strict upbringing, as well as her rebellion against family and societal expectations for a Chinese woman.
0 kommentar(er)
