Japanese Family Words and Phrases

The people at home

The core household words. These are the polite forms — safe with everyone, from your host family to your in-laws.

1. 1 かぞく kazoku — Family
2. 2 おかあさん okaasan — Mother
3. 3 おとうさん otousan — Father
4. 4 りょうしん ryoushin — Parents
5. 5 おっと otto — Husband

   Humble — for your own husband. Someone else's husband is ごしゅじん.

6. 6 つま tsuma — Wife

   Humble — for your own wife. Someone else's wife is おくさん.

Older and younger

Japanese has no plain word for "brother" or "sister" — you always declare who was born first. That one detail says a lot about how the language sees family.

1. 7 きょうだい kyoudai — Siblings
2. 8 しまい shimai — Sisters
3. 9 おにいさん oniisan — Older brother
4. 10 おねえさん oneesan — Older sister
5. 11 おとうと otouto — Younger brother
6. 12 いもうと imouto — Younger sister

Grandparents, aunts and uncles

Four words, one trap: the only difference between grandfather and uncle is how long you hold the vowel.

1. 13 おじいさん ojiisan — Grandfather
2. 14 おばあさん obaasan — Grandmother
3. 15 おじさん ojisan — Uncle
4. 16 おばさん obasan — Aunt

Introducing your family

Children, headcounts and the question that starts every family conversation in Japan.

1. 17 むすこ musuko — Son
2. 18 むすめ musume — Daughter
3. 19 かぞくはよにんです。 kazoku wa yonin desu — My family has four people
4. 20 きょうだいはいますか。 kyoudai wa imasu ka — Do you have siblings?

In real life: talking about family with a friend