8.4. Family


8.4.1. Standard family nouns


Japanese family nouns are categorized in two groups: standard family nouns and calling family nouns. The latter is used to call your family without using their name, like the English words dad and mom. Standard family nouns are never used to call them in your family.

Hiragana:(o)(ya)
Phonemes:oya'
Romanization:oya
Meaning:parent

Note: Another word (hu)(bo) /hu' bo/ "fubo", which means father and mother, is also commonly used in formal situations.

Hiragana:(ti)(ti)
Phonemes:ti'ti
Romanization:chichi
Meaning:father

Note: The word (ti)(ti)(o)(ya) /ti ti o ya/ "chichioya" is also commonly used for father, even though it is linguistically redundant.

Hiragana:(ha)(ha)
Phonemes:ha'ha
Romanization:haha
Meaning:mother

Note: The word (ha)(ha)(o)(ya) /ha ha o ya/ "hahaoya" is also commonly used for mother.

Hiragana:(a)(ni)
Phonemes:a'ni
Romanization:ani
Meaning:elder brother

Note: Japanese distinguishes elder brothers and younger brothers. The word (ki)(small yo)(u)(da)(i) /kyo' u da i/ "kyôdai" means brothers and sisters and it is sometimes useful, but using it for a specific brother/sister is as strange as using the English word sibling for him/her. It depends on language what information you have to give when you talk about a sibling. You have to clarify his/her sex and age compared to you in Japanese, while in English you don't have to tell his/her age. You might be interested to know that in Indonesian, you have to clarify only his/her age, so the Indonesian words for elder brother and elder sister are the same.

Hiragana:(a)(ne)
Phonemes:ane
Romanization:ane
Meaning:elder sister

Hiragana:(o)(to)(u)(to)
Phonemes:otouto'
Romanization:otôto
Meaning:younger brother

Hiragana:(i)(mo)(u)(to)
Phonemes:imouto'
Romanization:imôto
Meaning:younger sister

Hiragana:(so)(hu)
Phonemes:so'hu
Romanization:sofu
Meaning:grandfather

Hiragana:(so)(bo)
Phonemes:so'bo
Romanization:sobo
Meaning:grandmother

Note: The word (so)(hu)(bo) /so hu' bo/ "sofubo" means grandfather and grandmother.

Hiragana:(ko)
Phonemes:ko
Romanization:ko
Meaning:child

Note: Another word (ko)(do)(mo) /ko do mo/ "kodomo" is also commonly used for child, but it often means all minors, not only your sons and daughters.

Hiragana:(mu)(su)(ko)
Phonemes:musuko
Romanization:musuko
Meaning:son

Hiragana:(mu)(su)(me)
Phonemes:musume'
Romanization:musume
Meaning:daughter

Hiragana:(ma)(go)
Phonemes:mago'
Romanization:mago
Meaning:grandchild

Note: If you want to distinguish grandsons and granddaughters, you can use (ma)(go)(mu)(su)(ko) /ma go mu' su ko/ "magomusuko" (grandson) and (ma)(go)(mu)(su)(me) /ma go mu' su me/ "magomusume" (granddaughter), but simply saying (ma)(go) /ma go'/ "mago" is more common.

Hiragana:(o)(zi)
Phonemes:ozi
Romanization:oji
Meaning:uncle

Hiragana:(o)(ba)
Phonemes:oba
Romanization:oba
Meaning:aunt

Hiragana:(i)(to)(ko)
Phonemes:i'toko
Romanization:itoko
Meaning:cousin

Hiragana:(o)(i)
Phonemes:oi
Romanization:oi
Meaning:nephew

Hiragana:(me)(i)
Phonemes:mei
Romanization:mei
Meaning:niece

8.4.2. Calling family nouns


The following words are used to call elder members of your family, like dad and mom. It is also good to use them to refer to other people's families, but using them to talk about your own family in formal situations sounds childish. Use given names to call younger members of your family.

Hiragana:(o)(to)(u)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:oto'usaN
Romanization:otôsan
Meaning:dad

Note: The first (o) /o/ "o" is a common politeness prefix for nouns, and removing it sounds you are matured. The last (sa)(n) /sa N/ "san" is the same as the Japanese equivalent of Mr. and Ms., but it's a part of the word and you can't remove it.

Hiragana:(o)(ka)(a)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:oka'asaN
Romanization:okâsan
Meaning:mom

Hiragana:(o)(ni)(i)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:oni'isaN
Romanization:onîsan
Meaning:elder brother (calling name)

Note: Children prefer the word (o)(ni)(i)(ti)(small ya)(n) /o ni' i tya N/ "onîchan". The last (ti)(small ya)(n) /tya' N/ "chan" is a childlike version of (sa)(n) /sa' N/ "san".

Hiragana:(o)(ne)(e)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:one'esaN
Romanization:onêsan
Meaning:elder sister (calling name)

Note: Children prefer the word (o)(ne)(e)(ti)(small ya)(n) /o ne' e tya N/ "onêchan".

Hiragana:(o)(zi)(i)(ti)(small ya)(n)
Phonemes:ozi'ityaN
Romanization:ojîchan
Meaning:grandpa

Note: The word (o)(zi)(i)(sa)(n) /o zi' i sa N/ "ojîsan" is often used for old men in general, not necessarily your grandfather.

Hiragana:(o)(ba)(a)(ti)(small ya)(n)
Phonemes:oba'atyaN
Romanization:obâchan
Meaning:grandma

Note: The word (o)(ba)(a)(sa)(n) /o ba' a sa N/ "obâsan" is often used for old women in general, not necessarily your grandmother.

Hiragana:(o)(zi)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:ozisaN
Romanization:ojisan
Meaning:uncle (calling name)

Note: This word is also used for general middle-age men.

Hiragana:(o)(ba)(sa)(n)
Phonemes:obasaN
Romanization:obasan
Meaning:aunt (calling name)

Note: This word is also used for general middle-age women.


The interesting point of the calling family nouns is that the viewpoint is usually fixed on the youngest member of the family. For example, it is not uncommon at all for a man with a kid to call his wife (o)(ka)(a)(sa)(n) /o ka' a sa N/ "okâsan" and for his wife to call her husband (o)(to)(u)(sa)(n) /o to' u sa N/ "otôsan", because their word usage is based on their kid's viewpoint. If they live with his or her parents, they would call their father (o)(zi)(i)(ti)(small ya)(n) /o zi' i tya N/ "ojîchan" and their mother (o)(ba)(a)(ti)(small ya)(n) /o ba' a tya N/ "obâchan".


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