Family Words in Japanese: My Mother Versus Your Mother
Japanese has two sets of family words, one for your own family and one for other people's. Learn both sets and when to use each.
Japanese distinguishes between talking about your own family to outsiders and talking about someone else's family (or addressing your relatives). The two sets of words show humility and respect.
Two sets
| English | Your own family (humble) | Someone else's (respectful) |
|---|---|---|
| father | 父 (ちち, chichi) | お父さん (おとうさん, otōsan) |
| mother | 母 (はは, haha) | お母さん (おかあさん, okāsan) |
| elder brother | 兄 (あに, ani) | お兄さん (おにいさん, onīsan) |
| elder sister | 姉 (あね, ane) | お姉さん (おねえさん, onēsan) |
| younger brother | 弟 (おとうと, otōto) | 弟さん (おとうとさん) |
| younger sister | 妹 (いもうと, imōto) | 妹さん (いもうとさん) |
| grandfather | 祖父 (そふ, sofu) | おじいさん (ojīsan) |
| grandmother | 祖母 (そぼ, sobo) | おばあさん (obāsan) |
| husband | 夫 (おっと, otto) | ご主人 (ごしゅじん) |
| wife | 妻 (つま, tsuma) | 奥さん (おくさん) |
| parents | 両親 (りょうしん, ryōshin) | ご両親 (ごりょうしん) |
| family | 家族 (かぞく, kazoku) | ご家族 (ごかぞく) |
In use
- わたしの母は先生です。 — My mother is a teacher. (to an outsider)
- 田中さんのお母さんは先生ですか。 — Is Mr Tanaka's mother a teacher?
- 父は会社員です。 — My father is an office worker.
- お父さんはお元気ですか。 — Is your father well?
Addressing your own relatives
Within the family, you call your relatives with the respectful forms. A child says お母さん to their own mother:
- お母さん、ありがとう。 — Thanks, Mum.
The humble forms are for talking about your family to others.
Older and younger siblings
Japanese distinguishes older and younger siblings, and there is no single word for "brother" or "sister". The words 兄弟 (きょうだい, kyōdai, siblings) and 姉妹 (しまい, shimai, sisters) exist.
Useful sentences
- 兄弟がいますか。 — Do you have siblings?
- 兄が一人と妹が一人います。 — I have one older brother and one younger sister.
- わたしは一人っ子です。 — I'm an only child.
Tips
- Learn both sets in pairs.
- Use the humble words about your own family.
- Use the dictionary to check readings.
English Japanese Dictionary
Offline English–Japanese dictionary with kanji, hiragana and katakana support
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