{"id":107677,"date":"2024-01-28T15:35:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T20:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/family-in-japanese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T05:42:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T10:42:59","slug":"family-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/family-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"60+ Words to Talk About Family in Japanese (Plus Cultural Notes)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family in Japanese culture is strongly tied to identity and the family unit often functions as a whole.\u00a0Traditionally, parents and elders are respected<\/a> and ancestors are honored.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you start a journey to learn a new language, family words are often among the first that you learn\u2014and these familial words are even more important when you’re learning Japanese.\u00a0Learn all about the Japanese family and the words you’ll need to know to refer to any of your relatives.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

Japanese Family Vocabulary Words\u00a0<\/h2>\n

“Family” and Other Basic Vocabulary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u5bb6\u65cf<\/td>Kazoku<\/i><\/td>Family<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u89aa<\/td>Oya<\/i><\/td>Parents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7956\u7236\u6bcd<\/td>Sofubo<\/i><\/td>Grandparents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5144\u5f1f\u59c9\u59b9<\/td>Kyodai Shimai<\/i><\/td>Siblings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7406\u306e\u89aa\u621a<\/td>Giri no Shinseki<\/i><\/td>In-laws<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u89aa\u621a<\/td>Shinseki<\/i><\/td>Relatives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5b50\u4f9b\u305f\u3061<\/td>Kodomotachi<\/i><\/td>Children<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u8d64\u3061\u3083\u3093<\/td>Aka-chan<\/i><\/td>Baby<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5e7c\u5150<\/td>Youji<\/i><\/td>Toddler<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u4e73\u5150<\/td>Nyuji<\/i><\/td>Infant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5b50\u4f9b<\/td>Kodomo<\/i><\/td>Child<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5341\u4ee3<\/td>Juudai<\/i><\/td>Teenager<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5927\u4eba<\/td>Otona<\/i><\/td>Adult<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5e74\u914d\u306e\u4eba<\/td>Nenpai no Hito<\/i><\/td>Old person<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5a5a\u7d04\u8005<\/td>Kon'yakusha<\/i><\/td>Betrothed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7d50\u5a5a\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b<\/td>Kekkon shiteiru<\/i><\/td>Married<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Immediate Family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u6bcd\u89aa<\/td>Hahaoya<\/i><\/td>Mother (formal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u6bcd\u3055\u3093<\/td>Okaasan<\/i><\/td>Mother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7236\u89aa<\/td>Chichioya<\/i><\/td>Father (formal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u7236\u3055\u3093<\/td>Otousan<\/i><\/td>Father<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u59b9<\/td>Imouto<\/i><\/td>Younger sister<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u59c9<\/td>Ane<\/i><\/td>Older sister<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5f1f<\/td>Otouto<\/i><\/td>Younger brother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5144<\/a><\/td>Ani<\/i><\/td>Older brother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u592b<\/td>Otto<\/i><\/td>Husband<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5a18<\/td>Musume<\/i><\/td>Daughter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u606f\u5b50<\/td>Musuko<\/i><\/td>Son<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u59bb<\/td>Tsuma<\/i><\/td>Wife<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Extended Family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Japanese<\/th>Romaji<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u7956\u6bcd<\/td>Sobo<\/i><\/td>Grandmother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7956\u7236<\/td>Sofu<\/i><\/td>Grandfather<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5b6b\u606f\u5b50<\/td>Mago Musuko<\/i><\/td>Grandson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5b6b\u5a18<\/td>Mago Musume<\/i><\/td>Granddaughter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u3070<\/td>Oba<\/i><\/td>Aunt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u3058<\/td>Oji<\/i><\/td>Uncle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u59ea<\/td>Mei<\/i><\/td>Niece<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7525<\/td>Oi<\/i><\/td>Nephew<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5f93\u5144\u5f1f<\/td>Itoko<\/i><\/td>Cousin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u7956\u6bcd<\/td>Sousobo<\/i><\/td>Great-grandmother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u7956\u7236 <\/td>Sousohu<\/i><\/td>Great-grandfather<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u5b6b\u606f\u5b50<\/td>Himago Musuko<\/i><\/td>Great-grandson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u5b6b\u5a18<\/td>Himago Musume<\/i><\/td>Great-granddaughter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u304a\u3070 <\/td>Hioba<\/i><\/td>Great-aunt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u66fe\u304a\u3058<\/td>Hioji<\/i><\/td>Great-uncle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u5144\u5f1f <\/td>Gikeitei<\/i><\/td>Stepbrother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u59c9\u59b9<\/td>Gishimai<\/i> <\/td>Stepsister<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7236<\/td>Gifu<\/i><\/td>Stepfather<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u6bcd<\/td>Gibo<\/i><\/td>Stepmother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7406\u306e\u6bcd<\/td>Giri no Haha<\/i><\/td>Mother-in-law<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7406\u306e\u7236<\/td>Giri no Chichi<\/i><\/td>Father-in-law<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7406\u306e\u59b9 <\/td>Giri no Imouto<\/i><\/td>Sister-in-law<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7fa9\u7406\u306e\u5144<\/td>Giri no Ani<\/i><\/td>Brother-in-law<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Familial Terms of Endearment<\/h2>\n

You probably don’t call your mom “mother,” right? You might call her “mom” or “momma,” and younger kids might call her “mommy” or “mama.”<\/p>\n

The same is true in Japanese\u2014there are a few ways to refer to your family members when you’re talking to them that aren’t necessarily the “official” terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The simplest way to refer to your relatives is by adding the honorifics -san<\/em> or -chan<\/em>\u00a0to make the word more respectful or affectionate, respectively. For example:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n