Family and Relationships in Japanese

Family is very important in Japanese culture. This lesson covers family members, relationships, and polite forms used when talking about others' families.

Family Tree (家系図 - かけいず, kakeizu)

Here's a visual guide to Japanese family relationships:

    👴 おじいさん (grandfather)  💑  👵 おばあさん (grandmother)
            |                               |
            └───────┬───────────────────────┘
                    |
        👨 ちち/おとうさん (father)  💑  👩 はは/おかあさん (mother)
                    |                  |
                    └──────┬───────────┘
                           |
        ┌──────────────────┼────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
        |                  |            |              |              | 
    👤 あなた          👩‍🏫 あね        🎎 いもうと      👨‍🏫 あに        🎎 おとうと      
      (you)        older sister   younger sister  older brother  younger brother  
        |                      
    💑 (marries)                                   
        |                                               
  🤵/👰 おっと/つま                                      
  (husband/wife)
        |
        |
  👦 むすこ (son)
👧 むすめ (daughter)

Additional relatives:

• 👨 おじ (uncle) / 👩 おば (aunt)
• 👦👧 いとこ (cousins)
• 👦 おい (nephew) / 👧 めい (niece)

Immediate Family

General Family Terms

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Type
かぞく	家族	kazoku	👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family	noun
りょうしん	両親	ryoushin	👨👩 parents	noun
きょうだい	兄弟	kyoudai	👦👧 siblings	noun

Examples:

• わたしの かぞくは よにんです (watashi no kazoku wa yonin desu) - My family has four people
• りょうしんは とうきょうに すんでいます (ryoushin wa toukyou ni sunde imasu) - My parents live in Tokyo
• きょうだいが さんにん います (kyoudai ga sannin imasu) - I have three siblings

Parents

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Usage	Type
ちち	父	chichi	👨 father	Your own father	noun
はは	母	haha	👩 mother	Your own mother	noun
おとうさん	お父さん	otousan	👨 father	Someone else's father	noun
おかあさん	お母さん	okaasan	👩 mother	Someone else's mother	noun

Examples:

• ちちは いしゃです (chichi wa isha desu) - My father is a doctor
• おとうさんは おげんきですか (otousan wa ogenki desu ka) - Is your father well?

Siblings

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Usage	Type
あに	兄	ani	👨 older brother	Your own older brother	noun
あね	姉	ane	👩 older sister	Your own older sister	noun
おとうと	弟	otouto	👨 younger brother	Your own younger brother	noun
いもうと	妹	imouto	👩 younger sister	Your own younger sister	noun
おにいさん	お兄さん	oniisan	👨 older brother	Someone else's older brother	noun
おねえさん	お姉さん	oneesan	👩 older sister	Someone else's older sister	noun

Examples:

• あにが ふたり います (ani ga futari imasu) - I have two older brothers
• いもうとは こうこうせいです (imouto wa koukousei desu) - My younger sister is a high school student
• おにいさんは なんさいですか (oniisan wa nansai desu ka) - How old is your older brother?

Extended Family

Extended Family Relationships

Here's a visual guide to extended family and in-law relationships:

        👴 祖父 (grandfather)                     
                 |                               
    ┌────────────┴───────┐                           
    |                    |                        
    |                    |                        
    |                    |                 
👩 おば (aunt)       💑 母 (mother)                            👴 しゅうと                       👵 しゅうとめ
👨 おじ (uncle)           |                                 (wife's father)                  (wife's mother)
    |                    |                                       |─────────────┬────────────────────|
    |              ┌─────┴───────┬───────────────────┐           |             |                    |
    |              |             |               👤 あなた  💑  👰 つま    👨 ぎりのあに          👩 ぎりのあね
👦👧 いとこ   👨 あに          👩 あね              (you)       (wife)      (brother-in-law)     (sister-in-law)
(cousin)   (older brother)  (older sister)                      |                              
                   |             |                              |
                   |             |                              |
                   |             |                      ┌───────┴──────┐
                   |             |                      |              |
            👦 おい (nephew)   👧 めい (niece)        👦 むこ          👧 よめ 
                                                   (son-in-law)   (daughter-in-law)

Grandparents and Relatives

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Type
そふ	祖父	sofu	👴 grandfather	noun
おじいさん	お爺さん	ojiisan	👴 grandfather	noun
そぼ	祖母	sobo	👵 grandmother	noun
おばあさん	お婆さん	obaasan	👵 grandmother	noun
おじ	叔父	oji	👨 uncle	noun
おば	叔母	oba	👩 aunt	noun
いとこ	従兄弟	itoko	👦👧 cousin	noun
おい	甥	oi	👦 nephew	noun
めい	姪	mei	👧 niece	noun

Notes:

• おじ can mean both uncle (father's brother) and uncle (mother's brother)
• おば can mean both aunt (father's sister) and aunt (mother's sister)
• いとこ can mean both male and female cousins

In-Laws (義理の家族)

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Type
ぎりのあに	義理の兄	giri no ani	👨 brother-in-law	noun
ぎりのあね	義理の姉	giri no ane	👩 sister-in-law	noun
しゅうと	舅	shuuto	👴 father-in-law (wife's father)	noun
しゅうとめ	姑	shuutome	👵 mother-in-law (wife's mother)	noun
むこ	婿	muko	👦 son-in-law	noun
よめ	嫁	yome	👧 daughter-in-law	noun

Marriage and Children

Spouse and Children

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Type
つま	妻	tsuma	👰 wife	noun
おっと	夫	otto	🤵 husband	noun
おくさん	奥さん	okusan	👰 wife	noun
ごしゅじん	ご主人	goshujin	🤵 husband	noun
こども	子供	kodomo	👦👧 child/children	noun
むすこ	息子	musuko	👦 son	noun
むすめ	娘	musume	👧 daughter	noun
ぼうや	坊や	bouya	👦 boy (young)	noun
おじょうさん	お嬢さん	ojou san	👧 daughter	noun
ぼっちゃん	坊ちゃん	bocchan	👦 son	noun

Examples:

• つまは にほんじんです (tsuma wa nihonjin desu) - My wife is Japanese
• こどもが さんにん います (kodomo ga sannin imasu) - I have three children
• むすこは だいがくせいです (musuko wa daigakusei desu) - My son is a university student

Relationships and Status

Relationship Terms

Hiragana	Kanji	Romaji	English	Type
ひとり	一人	hitori	👤 single/unmarried	noun
けっこん	結婚	kekkon	💑 marriage	noun
けっこんしている	結婚している	kekkon shite iru	💑 married	verb
どくしん	独身	dokushin	👤 single	noun
りこん	離婚	rikon	💔 divorce	noun
やもめ	寡婦	yamome	👤🪦 widowed	noun
こいびと	恋人	koibito	💕 boyfriend/girlfriend	noun
ふうふ	夫婦	fuufu	👨‍👩 married couple	noun

Examples:

• けっこんしています (kekkon shite imasu) - I am married
• どくしんです (dokushin desu) - I am single
• こいびとが います (koibito ga imasu) - I have a boyfriend/girlfriend

When Talking About Others' Families

In Japanese, the words you use to describe family members change depending on whether you're talking about your own family or someone else's family. This is a key cultural concept!

Comparison: My Family vs. Someone Else's Family

English	My Family	Someone Else's Family
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family	かぞく (kazoku)	ごかぞく (gokazoku)
👨 father	ちち (chichi)	おとうさん (otousan)
👩 mother	はは (haha)	おかあさん (okaasan)
👴 grandfather	そふ (sofu)	おじいさん (ojiisan)
👵 grandmother	そぼ (sobo)	おばあさん (obaasan)
👨 older brother	あに (ani)	おにいさん (oniisan)
👩 older sister	あね (ane)	おねえさん (oneesan)
👨 younger brother	おとうと (otouto)	おとうとさん (otouto san)
👩 younger sister	いもうと (imouto)	いもうとさん (imouto san)
👨 uncle	おじ (oji)	おじさん (ojisan)
👩 aunt	おば (oba)	おばさん (obasan)
🤵 husband	おっと (otto)	ごしゅじん (goshujin)
👰 wife	つま (tsuma)	おくさん (okusan)
👦 son	むすこ (musuko)	• ぼっちゃん (bocchan) • むすこさん (musuko san)
👧 daughter	むすめ (musume)	• おじょうさん (ojou san) • むすめさん (musume san)

Usage Examples:

• When talking about YOUR family: かぞくは よにんです (kazoku wa yonin desu) - My family has four people
• When talking about YOUR family: ちちは はたらきます (chichi wa hatarakimasu) - My father works
• When talking about SOMEONE'S family: ごかぞくは おげんきですか？ (gokazoku wa ogenki desu ka?) - How is your family?
• When talking about SOMEONE'S family: おとうさんは いしゃですか？ (otousan wa isha desu ka?) - Is your father a doctor?
• Polite form 〜さま is more respectful than 〜さん and is used in very formal situations

Family and culture

Family relationships are central to Japanese culture. The concept of 家 (ie) — household/family line — carries significant weight in traditional society. Always use humble forms for your own family (ちち, はは) and polite forms for someone else's (おとうさん, おかあさん) to show proper respect.