亲戚(qīn qi) - relatives in Mandarin

亲戚 (qīnqi) means "relatives", the wider family beyond parents, siblings and children. 亲 (qīn) relates to closeness and kinship, and 戚 (qī) on its own is an old word for "relative"; together they cover uncles, aunts, cousins and in-laws collectively.

Note the pronunciation trap: 戚 is normally read qī in isolation, but in 亲戚 (qīnqi) it loses its tone and is spoken as a light, neutral qi. Saying qīn qī with two full tones marks a learner out immediately; native speakers always soften the second syllable.

亲戚 (qīnqi) is a collective, general word; it does not specify which relative, so a sentence will usually add a specific term like 表哥 (biǎogē), "older male cousin", or 叔叔 (shūshu), "uncle" (father's younger brother), when precision matters.