How to Say “My stepdaughter” in Chinese
Relationships and family · HSK 3
"My stepdaughter" in Chinese is 我的继女 (Wǒ de jìnǚ). 继女 mirrors 继子; 继 (jì, 'successor/step') plus 女 (nǚ, 'daughter'). Just like with stepsons, most Chinese families in casual conversation will just say 我女儿 (wǒ nǚ'ér, 'my daughter'), because calling attention to the 'step' relationship can feel distancing in a culture that prizes 一家人 (yìjiārén, 'one family').
Primary translation
我的继女
Wǒ de jìnǚ
Traditional: 我的繼女
When to use it
继女 mirrors 继子; 继 (jì, 'successor/step') plus 女 (nǚ, 'daughter'). Just like with stepsons, most Chinese families in casual conversation will just say 我女儿 (wǒ nǚ'ér, 'my daughter'), because calling attention to the 'step' relationship can feel distancing in a culture that prizes 一家人 (yìjiārén, 'one family'). Watch the tone on 女; it's third tone (nǚ) with the umlaut u, which non-native speakers often flatten. 继女 is most commonly seen in legal documents, estate paperwork, and formal introductions.
Example sentences
我的继女下个月结婚。
Wǒ de jìnǚ xiàge yuè jiéhūn.
My stepdaughter is getting married next month.
继女和亲生女儿对我来说没区别。
Jìnǚ hé qīnshēng nǚ'ér duì wǒ láishuō méi qūbié.
To me there's no difference between a stepdaughter and a biological daughter.
她是我的继女，不过我们很亲。
Tā shì wǒ de jìnǚ, búguò wǒmen hěn qīn.
She's my stepdaughter, but we're very close.