Family Members in Japanese
Updated July 5, 2026
The word for family in Japanese is 家族 (kazoku), and the core members are 母 (haha, mother), 父 (chichi, father), 兄 (ani, older brother), and 姉 (ane, older sister). Japanese uses humble words for your own family and polite forms for someone else's.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 家族 | familykazoku |
| 母 | mother (one's own)haha; others': お母さん okaasan |
| 父 | father (one's own)chichi; others': お父さん otousan |
| 兄 | older brother (one's own)ani; others': お兄さん oniisan |
| 姉 | older sister (one's own)ane; others': お姉さん oneesan |
| 弟 | younger brotherotouto; others': 弟さん otoutosan |
| 妹 | younger sisterimouto; others': 妹さん imoutosan |
| 祖父 | grandfather (one's own)sofu; others': おじいさん ojiisan |
| 祖母 | grandmother (one's own)sobo; others': おばあさん obaasan |
| 両親 | parents (one's own)ryoushin; others': ご両親 goryoushin |
| 息子 | son (one's own)musuko; others': 息子さん musukosan |
| 娘 | daughter (one's own)musume; others': お嬢さん ojousan |
Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch Japanese shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.
Hear them in: Old Enough!, Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are there two words for mother in Japanese?
- Japanese distinguishes humble words for your own family from polite words for someone else's. Your own mother is 母 (haha), but another person's mother is お母さん (okaasan), which is also how you address your own mother directly.
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