Family Words
Japanese Vocabulary: Family Words and Phrases
As you probably know, Japanese often has several ways to say the same thing depending on one's status and to whom one is speaking. Speaking of family members is no different.
Let's first take a look at names for family members:
| one's own family | other family |
| father 父 chichi |
father お父さん otousan |
| mother 母 haha |
mother お母さん okaasan |
| husband 夫 otto |
husband ご主人 goshujin |
| wife 妻 tsuma |
wife 奥さん okusan |
| son 息子 musuko |
son 息子さん musukosan |
| daughter 娘 musume |
daughter 娘さん musumesan |
Japanese also distinguishes between older and younger siblings:
| one's own family | other family |
| older brother 兄 ani |
older brother お兄さん oniisan |
| younger brother 弟 otouto |
younger brother 弟さん otoutosan |
| older sister 姉 ane |
older sister お姉さん oneesan |
| younger sister 妹 imouto |
younger sister 妹さん imouto san |
oniisan and oneesan are also used in general for young adults (or teenagers).
Extended Family Members:
| one's own family | other family |
| grandfather 祖父 sofu |
grandfather おじいさん ojiisan |
| grandmother 祖母 sobo |
grandmother おばあさん obaasan |
| uncle 叔父 伯父 oji [Both kanji above are pronounced the same way; the first means the uncle is younger than one's father and the second means the uncle is older.] |
uncle 叔父さん 伯父さん ojisan [Both kanji above are pronounced the same way; the first means the uncle is younger than one's father and the second means the uncle is older.] |
| aunt 叔母 伯母 oba |
aunt 叔母さん 伯母さん obasan |
Be careful with the obasan / obaasan and ojisan / ojiisan.
General Family Words:
| family 家族 kazoku |
relatives 親戚 shinseki |
| parents 両親 ryoushin |
children 子供 kodomo |
| siblings 兄弟 kyoudai |
cousins いとこ itoko |
| ~in-law 義理の～ giri no~ |
grandchild 孫 mago |
| ancestor 先祖 senzo |
descendant 子孫 shison |
| married 結婚 kekkon |
single 独身 dokushin |
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i love japanese
i know now how read japanese but i still don't know the meanings of it but thanks a lot, it's just the beginning. it's been 3 days since i started to learn :))
very nice, thanks a lot!
very nice, thanks a lot!