‘Zhízi’ means ‘nephew’ — specifically the son of one’s brother. The character 侄 (zhí) denotes a male relative on the paternal side, distinguishing it from 甥 (shēng), which refers to a nephew through one’s sister. The second character 子 (zǐ) is a common suffix meaning ‘son’ or ‘child’, reinforcing the familial relationship. Together, 侄子 literally conveys ‘brother’s son’ and is used exclusively for male descendants in this line.

This term reflects traditional Chinese kinship terminology, which emphasizes precise distinctions based on gender and lineage. It’s commonly used in family conversations, formal introductions, and written contexts like letters or family trees. Unlike English, where ‘nephew’ covers both brother’s and sister’s sons, Chinese requires different terms: 侄子 for brother’s son and 甥子 (shēngzi) or more commonly 甥 for sister’s son. The word carries neutral to respectful register and is appropriate in both casual and formal settings.