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