Table of Japanese kinship terms
Remember that the terms you use to refer to family members can depend on two factors:
Whose family member are you referring to: yours or someone else's?
Who are you talking to: another member of your family, or someone outside the family?
Here are the most common terms you'll need:
| English | Japanese | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Grandparents | n/a | 祖父母 (transcribed sofubo) | ご祖父母さま (transcribed gosofubo sama) |
Grandfather | (お)じいちゃん (transcribed ojiichan) | 祖父 (transcribed sofu) | おじいさん (transcribed ojiisan)おじいさま (transcribed ojiisama) |
Grandmother | (お)ばあちゃん (transcribed obāchan) | 祖母 (transcribed sobo) | おばあさん (transcribed obāsan)おばあさま (transcribed obāsama) |
Parent(s) | n/a | 親 (transcribed oya)両親 (transcribed ryōshin)父母 (transcribed fubo) | ご両親 (transcribed goryōshin)ご両親さま (transcribed goryōshinsama) |
Father | (お)父さん (transcribed otōsan)(お)父さんちゃん (transcribed otōchan)親父 (transcribed oyaji) | 父 (transcribed chichi) | お父さん (transcribed otōsan)お父さま (transcribed otōsama) |
Mother | (お)母さん (transcribed okāsan)(お)母ちゃん (transcribed okāchan)お袋 (transcribed ofukuro) | 母 (transcribed haha) | お母さん (transcribed okāsan)お母さま (transcribed okāsama) |
Spouse | n/a | 配偶者 (transcribed haigūsha) | n/a |
Married Couple | n/a | 夫婦 (transcribed fūfu) | ご夫婦 (transcribed gofūfu)ご夫妻 (transcribed gofusai) |
Husband | お父さん (transcribed otōsan)パパ (transcribed papa) first name + さん (transcribed san) あなた (transcribed anata) | 夫 (transcribed otto)主人 (transcribed shujin)亭主 (transcribed teishu)旦那 (transcribed dan'na) last name | ご主人さま (transcribed goshujin sama)旦那さん (transcribed dan'na san)旦那さま (transcribed dan'na sama) |
Wife | お母さん (transcribed okāsan)ママ (transcribed mama) first name | 妻 (transcribed tsuma)家内 (transcribed kanai)女房 (transcribed nyōbo)嫁さん (transcribed yome san) | 奥さん (transcribed okusan)奥さま (transcribed okusama) |
Child / children | あなたたち (transcribed anatatachi)おまえたち (transcribed omaetachi) | 子供 (transcribed kodomo) | お子さん (transcribed okosan)お子さま (transcribed okosama) |
Son | n/a | 息子 (transcribed musuko)せがれ (transcribed segare) | 息子さん (transcribed musuko san)お坊ちゃん (transcribed obocchan)ご子息 (transcribed goshisoku) |
First-born son | お兄ちゃん (transcribed oniichan) first name | 長男 (transcribed chōnan) | ご長男 (transcribed gochōnan) |
Second-born son | first name | 次男 (transcribed jinan) | ご次男 (transcribed gojinan) |
Daughter | n/a | 娘 (transcribed musume) | 娘さん (transcribed musume san)お嬢さん (transcribed ojōsan)お嬢さま (transcribed ojōsama) |
First-born daughter | お姉ちゃん (transcribed onēchan) first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) | 長女 (transcribed chōjo) | ご長女 (transcribed gochōjo) |
Second-born daughter | first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) | 次女 (transcribed jijo) | |
Grandchild(ren) | first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) first name (+君 (transcribed kun)) | 孫 (transcribed mago) | お孫さん (transcribed omago san) |
Brothers Siblings (mixed gender) | n/a | 兄弟 (transcribed kyōdai) | ご兄弟 (transcribed gokyōdai) |
Sisters | n/a | 姉妹 (transcribed shimai) | ご姉妹 (transcribed goshimai) |
Older brother | (お)兄ちゃん (transcribed oniichan)(お)兄さん (transcribed oniisan)兄貴 (transcribed aniki) | 兄 (transcribed ani) | お兄さん (transcribed oniisan)お兄さま (transcribed oniisama) |
Older sister | (お)姉ちゃん (transcribed onēchan)(お)姉さん (transcribed onēsan)姉貴 (transcribed aneki) | 姉 (transcribed ane) | お姉さん (transcribed onēsan)お姉さま (transcribed onēsama) |
Younger brother | first name | 弟 (transcribed otōto) | 弟さん (transcribed otōto san) |
Younger sister | first name | 妹 (transcribed imōto) | 妹さん (transcribed imōto san) |
Uncle | おじちゃん (transcribed ojichan)おじさん (transcribed ojisan)おじさま (transcribed ojisama) | おじ (transcribed oji) | おじさん (transcribed ojisan)おじさま (transcribed ojisama) |
Aunt | おばちゃん (transcribed obachan)おばさん (transcribed obasan)おばさま (transcribed obasama) | おば (transcribed oba) | おばさん (transcribed obasan)おばさま (transcribed obasama) |
Nephew | first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) first name (+君 (transcribed kun)) | 甥 (transcribed oi)甥っ子 (transcribed oikko) | 甥御さん (transcribed oigo san) |
Niece | first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) | 姪 (transcribed mei)姪っ子 (transcribed meikko) | 姪御さん (transcribed meigo san) |
Cousin | first name (+ちゃん (transcribed chan)) first name (+君 (transcribed kun)) | いとこ (transcribed itoko) | いとこさん (transcribed itoko san) |
Relatives | n/a | 親戚 (transcribed shinseki)親類 (transcribed shinrui) | ご親戚 (transcribed goshinseki) |
Step parents | n/a | 養父母 (transcribed yōfubo) | ご両親 (transcribed goryōshin)ご両親さま (transcribed goryōshinsama) |
Stepfather | お父さん (transcribed otōsan) | 養父 (transcribed yōfu) | お父さん (transcribed otōsan)お父さま (transcribed otōsama) |
Stepmother | お母さん (transcribed okāsan) | 養母 (transcribed yōbo) | お母さん (transcribed okāsan)お母さま (transcribed okāsama) |
Father-in-law | お義父さん (transcribed otōsan)お義父さま (transcribed otōsama) | 義父 (transcribed gifu)舅 (transcribed shūto) | お舅さん (transcribed oshūto san) |
Mother-in-law | お義母さん (transcribed okāsan)お義母さま (transcribed okāsama) | 義母 (transcribed gibo)姑 (transcribed shūtome) | お姑さん (transcribed oshūtome san) |
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