Mother Daughter Son and Father - Japanese Whole Family Video

Learning how to describe your family unit in Japanese is an essential part of expanding your vocabulary and improving your conversational skills.

When it comes to family, the Japanese language is more precise than English because it accounts for relative age. There are likewise alternate terms to address a member of another person'south family, versus your ain.

Are you lot ready to go along learning how to speak Japanese with these necessary vocabulary words for family unit? If so, you've come to the correct place.

How to Say "Family unit" in Japanese & More than!

Here are some of the most important Japanese vocabulary words to describe your family unit members. Take annotation of how the Japanese language really reflects the importance of family, bureaucracy, and respect in the infographic below.

Japanese Vocabulary Terms for Family & Relatives

Kazoku – "Family" in Japanese

• Kanji: 家族  //  Hiragana: かぞく

Yous can use this term to talk about your family or someone else's family unit in Japanese.

Haha – "Mother";Okaasan – Someone Else'due south Mother

• Kanji: 母  // Hiragana: はは
• Kanji: お母さん  //  Hiragana: おかあさん

Pay attention to which Japanese vocabulary word you use in which circumstance. When yous're talking about another person's mother, it's disrespectful (and rude) to call them haha (はは).

Chichi – "Male parent";Otosan – Someone Else'southward Father

• Kanji: 父  //  Hiragana: ちち
• Kanji: お父さん  //  Hiragana: おとおさん

Simply like okaasan andhaha, be sure to use the correct term in the correct situation to avoid sounding rude when talking well-nigh family in Japanese.

Sobo – "Grandmother";Obaasan – Someone Else'southward Grandmother

• Kanji: 祖母  //  Hiragana: そぼ
• Kanji: お婆さん  //  Hiragana: おばあさん

In addition to describing another person's grandmother, obaasan is too a term of respect for older women. It doesn't matter whether or non the adult female has children or grandchildren; the term tin can withal exist used.

Sofu – "Grandfather";Ojiisan – Someone Else's Granddaddy

• Kanji: 祖父  //  Hiragana: そふ
• Kanji: お爺さん  //  Hiragana: おじいさん)

Similarly to obaasan (おばあさん), ojiisan (おじいさん) can be used to talk about someone else's grandfather, or to address an elderly (respected) man, regardless of whether or non he has any children. (We told you lot talking about family in Japanese was more complex than in English language!)

Related: 8 Essential Japanese Greetings and Japanese Honorifics

Ani – "Big Brother";Oniisan – Someone Else's Older Blood brother

• Kanji: 兄  //  Hiragana: あに
• Kanji: お兄さん  //  Hiragana: おにいさん

The chief difference in the respectful form (for someone else'due south older brother) and the familiar grade (for your own older brother) is the starting time vowels. The vowel at the end of the respectful grade is longer, and the add-on of the respectful form of address -san (-さん).

Remember that for Japanese vowels, a long vowel doesn't mean that the pronunciation changes. Information technology just ways that the vowel sound takes longer to say.

Ane – "Big Sis";Oneesan – Someone Else's Older Sister

• Hiragana: あね
• Kanji: お姉さん  //  Hiragana: おねえさん

The departure betwixt the respectful and familiar forms of older sister are similar to the differences betwixt the respectful and familiar forms of older brother. The respectful form has a longer vowel at the finish and calls for the respectful accost (san さん).

If you accept older siblings, y'all may want to show respect when you accost them. If you want to talk nearly how one-time family unit members are, y'all volition need to acquire how to count in Japanese. This infographic can help you acquire the Japanese numbers i – 10.

Otouto – "Piffling Blood brother"

• Kanji: 弟  //  Hiragana: おとおと

The give-and-take is the same in this case, just add -san (-さん) to evidence respect when you lot're talking almost someone else'due south younger blood brother. Fortunately, not all the words for family in Japanese are circuitous.

Imouto – "Piffling Sister"

• Kanji: 妹  //  Hiragana: いもおと

As in the instance of otouto, but exist sure to add -san (-さん) if you're talking about someone else's younger sister.

Oba – "Aunt"

• Kanji: 伯母 (If she is older than parents)
• Kanji: 叔母  //  Hiragana: おば (Younger than parents)

The pronunciation for aunt is very close to the discussion for grandmother. The principal difference is that the ending "a" vowel is long for obaasan (おばあさん) or "grandmother" and standard length for obasan (おばさん) or "aunt." Add -san (-さん) to show respect when you are talking about someone else's aunt.

Oji – "Uncle"

• Kanji: 伯父 (Older than parents)
• Kanji: 叔父  //  Hiragana: おじ (Younger than parents)

The pronunciation for uncle is very close to the pronunciation for grandfather. The primary distinction lies in the curt vowel for ojisan (おじ さん) or "uncle" and the long vowel for ojiisan ( おじいさん) or "grandfather." Add together -san (-さん) for respect when you lot are talking about someone else's uncle.

Giri No – "In-constabulary"

• Kanji: 義理の  //  Hiragana: ぎりの

If yous want to talk about a younger sister in law,  y'all would say "giri-no imouto." If you desire to talk about your friend's father in constabulary, yous would say "____-san no giri no otosan," (____さんのぎりのおとおさん). Just make full in the blank with your friend'southward proper noun.

At present that you know how to talk about your family in Japanese, you lot're off to a great first! Want to amend your Japanese-speaking skills even more? Observe a Japanese tutor nearly y'all today, or try Japanese group classes with TakeLessons Live.

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Source: https://takelessons.com/blog/japanese-vocabulary-family-z05