Family members between North and South of Vietnam

In a family, there are some ways to adress each other.

Father: Ba, bố, Cha, Thầy

In the north of Vietnam: Bố

in the South of Vietnam: Ba.

However, there are some derivations for the Father in Vietnamese such as: Tía, or cha used in the South and Cậu or Thầy used in the North

Mother: Mẹ, U, Ầm, Má

Similar to Father, Mother in Vietnamese also has some different equivalent words between the South and the North.

South: Má

North: Mẹ, sometimes used in the South

Derivation, in the North, there are some other ways to address Mother: U, Ầm, Mợ

Brother: anh trai, em trai

Older than you: Anh (trai)

Younger than you: Em trai.

Cousin: Anh họ, Em họ, Chị họ

Sister: Chị or em. 

Older than you: Chị (gái).

Younger than you: Em gái.

When you talk to you friend about you older brother or sister, we don't have to use the word "Trai" -Male or "Gái" - Female because "Anh" and "Chị" already imply gender. However, if you mention you younger brother or sister without the word "Trai" or "Gái", your audience will not know when gender of the person you are talking about.

Aunt: This word has some meaning as follows:

+ in the North:

- Dì: your mother's younger sister.

- Cô: your father's younger sister.

- Mợ: your mother's younger brother's wife.

- Thím: to address to your father's younger brother's wife

+ In the South or centre region of Vietnam

- Dì: used for both your mother's younger and older sister.

- Cô: used for both your father's younger and older sister.

- Mợ: your both mother's older and younger brother's wife

- Thím: to address to your father's younger brother's wife.

Older Aunt: your mother's or father's older sisters. Bác or Bá

Uncle: Chú or Bác, Dượng, Cậu

- Chú: for you father's younger brothers

- Bác: for your father's older brothers.

- Dượng: used in the centre and South only. This title is used for your mother's younger or older sisters' husbands and your father's younger or older sisters' husbands.

- Cậu: 

In the North: Your mother's younger brother

In the South and Centre: For both your mother's younger and older brother.

Oldest brother: 

North: Anh lớn, Anh cả

South: Anh Hai

Youngest Brother or sister: Em út

Oldest sister: 

North: chị lớn, chị cả

South: Chị Hai

In the South and Centre: Nephew and niece usually address their mother or father's sibling by the ordinal number:

Chú ba: Your father's younger brother born right after your father

Bác hai, Your father's older brother born right before your father.

In-law is used to call a female person that married to your male members in your family.

Mother in-law: Mẹ chồng

Father in-law: Cha chồng, bố chồng

Daughter in-law: Con dâu:

Sister in-law: Chị dâu or Em dâu.

Brother in-law: Anh rễ, Em rễ.

Son in-law: Con rễ

Grandchild in-law: Cháu rễ, cháu dâu (Used for grandpa address to sons' children's wife or husbands.

Nephew in-law: Cháu rễ, Cháu dâu

Niece in-law: Cháu rễ, cháu dâu: