Kinship address forms carry profound connotations. They are linguistic, social, and cultural phenomena, all of which hold significant importance in daily communication. Due to diverse social backgrounds, substantial differences exist between English and Chinese kinship address forms. Although the study of kinship terms is not a novel topic, it continues to be of research value due to its frequent usage in daily communication. Under the guidance of intercultural communication theory, this paper provides a brief comparison of Chinese and English kinship address forms, considering perspectives from the elder generation, the same generation, and the younger generation. It analyzes the underlying causes in terms of social structure, cultural background, and economic context, with the aim of fostering an awareness of cultural disparities between China and Western countries. This understanding can help reduce culture shock and the occurrence of pragmatic failures and provide valuable references for future comparative studies. The results demonstrate that Chinese kinship address forms are intricate and detailed, accurately describing all kinship relationships, including lineal and collateral, paternal and maternal, consanguinity and affinity, elder and younger generations, among others. In contrast, English kinship address forms are highly generalized and simplistic, typically distinguishing only between males and females. International Journal of Education and Humanities ISSN: 2770-6702 | V ol. 11, No. 1, 2023 67 A Comparative Study of Kinship Address Forms between Chinese and English from an Intercultural Communication Perspective Xiaoen Kuang1, Shude Zhang1, * 1 School of Foreign Languages, Guangxi University of Science and Technology, Liuzhou, China * Corresponding author: Zhang Shude (Email: 3313893206@qq.com) Abstract: Kinship address forms carry profound connotations. They are linguistic, social, and cultural phenomena, all of which hold significant importance in daily communication. Due to dive rse social backgrounds, substantial differences exist between English and Chinese kinship address forms. Although the study of kinship terms is not a novel topic, it continues to be of research value due to its frequent usage in daily communication. Under t he guidance of intercultural communication theory, this paper provides a brief comparison of Chinese and English kinship address forms, considering perspectives from the elder generation, the same generation, and the you nger generation. It analyzes th e underlying causes in terms of social structure, cultural background, and economic context, with the aim of fostering an awareness of cultural disparitie s between China and Western countries. Subsequently, it explores potential reasons for these differences, examining social structures, cultural influences, and econom ic factors in order to better achieve the purpose of intercultural communication. It is important to note that this paper focuses on the general kinship address forms in English and Chinese and does not consider specific regional variations. 2. Literature Review Intercultural communication theory is a multidisciplinary framework rooted in fields such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, and communication studies. Centering on the commonly used kinship address forms, this section compares English and Chinese kinship terminologies from three aspects: elders, the same generation and younger generation. 3.1. Address relatives of the elder generation Relatives of elder generation include both the parental and ancestral generations. Due to the limitations of human lifespan and differences in family situations, kinship address for great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents are not widely used in most families. Therefore, this study focuses solely on the parental generation. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the differences in kinship address forms for elders (relatives of the parents’ generation) between English and Chinese, considering both blood and marital relationships. Notably, Chinese kinship terms distinguish between paternal and maternal sides, reflecting the dominant status of men within the family. Relatives on the mother’s side are considered less closely related and are addressed differently (Zhang, 2011). Understandings the differences between English and Chinese kinship address forms The differences between Chinese and English kinship address forms are significant factors contributing to the cultural distinctions between China and the West. It is only by comprehending these distinctions and their underlying reasons that individuals can effectively engage in intercultural communication. This section primarily analyzes the reasons for the divergent kinship address forms in English and Chinese from social, cultural, and economic perspectives. 4.1. Social structures 4.1.1. In informal situations, more affectionate terms like ma mi or ba bi can be used. On the other hand, low-context cultures emphasize direct and straightforward communication. In English, kinship terms are generally more direct and do not require much contextual or situational information. They also do not heavily reflect differences in social status or age. For example, one can directly refer to siblings as brother or Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. [9] Murdock, G. P. Social Structur e. New York: The Free Press, 1967. [10] Peng Lin. A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Kinship Terms. Central China Normal University, 2020. [11] Qian Chen. Cultural Differences in Chinese and English Address Terms. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2010, 1(06). 73 [12] Shi Xiuzhen, Qu Ping. The Differences of Kinship Address Forms between English and Chinese. Journal of Sichuan College of Education, 2010, 26(07). [13] Shu Liu. An Intercultural Comparison of English and Chinese Kinship Address Forms. Asia Pacific Education, 2015(01).