Japanese family vocabulary: Complete guide to kinship terms

Learning Japanese family vocabulary can feel overwhelming at first because the language has different words depending on whether you're talking about your own family or someone else's, plus there are formal and casual versions of everything. But here's the thing: once you understand the pattern, it actually makes sense. This guide breaks down all the essential family terms you need, from immediate family to distant relatives, with clear explanations of when to use each word. You'll learn the kanji, readings, and cultural context that makes Japanese kinship terms work the way they do.

Understanding the Japanese family vocabulary system

The Japanese language treats family vocabulary differently than English does. When you're talking about your own family members to someone outside your family, you typically use humble terms. When you're talking about someone else's family, you use polite terms with honorifics.

This distinction exists because of how Japanese culture views in-groups and out-groups. Your family is part of your in-group, so you show respect to outsiders by being humble about your own relatives. Meanwhile, you show respect to others by elevating their family members with polite language.

The word (kazoku) means "family" in general. You'll see this term used in many contexts when discussing family as a concept.

Immediate family: parents and siblings

Let's start with the core family members you'll reference most often. These are the words for parents and siblings, which have the most variation depending on context.

Parents

For "father," you have several options. When talking about your own father to others, use (chichi). The kanji represents father in its humble form.

When talking about someone else's father or addressing your own father directly, use (otousan). This is the polite, respectful version. Some families use (tousan) or even (papa) at home, which sounds more affectionate.

For "mother," the pattern is identical. Your own mother when speaking to outsiders: (haha). Someone else's mother or direct address: (okaasan). Casual home versions include (kaasan) or (mama).

Siblings

Sibling terms get more specific because Japanese distinguishes between older and younger siblings, plus gender matters.

For older brother, use (ani) when referring to your own. The respectful version for someone else's older brother or for direct address is (oniisan). You might also hear (niisan) or the even more casual (niichan) used affectionately within families.

For younger brother, the humble term is (otouto). Here's where it gets interesting: you typically don't use an honorific version for younger siblings because they're below you in the family hierarchy. You'd usually just call your younger brother by his name, maybe with (kun) attached.

Older sister follows the same pattern as older brother. Reference term: (ane). Polite/address term: (oneesan), with casual variants like (neesan) or (neechan).

Younger sister: (imouto) for reference. Like younger brothers, you'd typically use her name directly rather than a title.

The other question you might have is why not use honorifics for younger siblings? It comes down to hierarchy. In traditional Japanese family structure, older siblings hold a higher position, so younger ones don't receive the same honorific treatment. This reflects broader cultural values about age and respect.

Extended family members

Once you move beyond the immediate household, the vocabulary expands to cover grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Grandparents

For grandfather, the humble reference term is (sofu). The polite version you'd use when talking about someone else's grandfather or addressing your own is or (ojiisan). Notice these are pronounced the same but can use different kanji. Many families use (ojiichan) as an affectionate term.

Grandmother follows the pattern: (sobo) for humble reference, or (obaasan) for polite use. The affectionate version is (obaachan).

Aunts and uncles

This is where things get a bit tricky. The words for aunt and uncle can refer to any adult relatives or even non-relatives in some contexts.

For uncle, use or (oji) as the humble term. The kanji differs depending on whether he's younger or older than your parent, though most people don't worry about this distinction much anymore. The polite version is (ojisan), which you use when talking about someone else's uncle or addressing your own. Be careful with pronunciation here because (ojisan, uncle) sounds very similar to (ojiisan, grandfather).

For aunt: or (oba) for reference, (obasan) for polite use. Again, watch out because this sounds similar to (obaasan, grandmother). The vowel length makes all the difference.

Cousins

Japanese uses or (itoko) for cousins, regardless of gender or age. There are specific kanji variations that indicate gender and whether they're older or younger, but in everyday conversation, most people just say itoko and clarify with context if needed. You'd typically use your cousin's name when addressing them directly.

In-laws and marriage-related family terms

When you get married, you gain a whole new set of family members with their own vocabulary.

Your spouse's parents become your in-laws. Father-in-law is (gifu) or (shuuto). Mother-in-law is (gibo) or (shuutome). In practice, many people just use and for their in-laws to keep things simple and warm.

For siblings-in-law, you add (gi) to the regular sibling terms. Brother-in-law: (gikei) for older, (gitei) for younger. Sister-in-law: (gishi) for older, (gimai) for younger.

Your husband is (otto) or (shujin) when you're talking about him to others. Your wife is (tsuma) or (kanai). When referring to someone else's spouse politely, use (goshujin) for husband and (okusan) for wife.

Reference versus address terms explained

This concept trips up a lot of learners, so let's make it crystal clear. Reference terms are what you use when talking about family members to other people. Address terms are what you actually call them when speaking to them directly.

When you use when talking about your own family to outsiders, you use the humble forms: chichi, haha, ani, ane, otouto, imouto. This shows humility about your in-group.

When you use when talking about someone else's family, you use the polite forms with honorifics: otousan, okaasan, oniisan, oneesan. This shows respect to the other person's family.

When you use when talking directly to your family members at home, you typically use their polite forms or names: calling your dad otousan, your older brother niisan, but your younger brother by his first name.

Would you like to learn how to use Japanese words for family members in the context of genuine interactions? The key is paying attention to the social context. Who are you talking to? Who are you talking about? That determines which term you pick.

Common mistakes learners make with family words in Japanese

One frequent error is using the polite forms when talking about your own family to outsiders. If you tell your Japanese teacher "my otousan," it sounds like you're being overly respectful about your own father, which comes across as strange. Stick with chichi in that context.

Another mistake is forgetting the age distinction for siblings. English just has "brother" and "sister," but Japanese requires you to specify older or younger. You can't just say "my sibling" without this information.

Some learners also struggle with the pronunciation differences between similar-sounding words. Practice distinguishing ojisan (uncle) from ojiisan (grandfather), and obasan (aunt) from obaasan (grandmother). That long vowel matters a lot.

Cultural context: why Japanese family vocabulary works this way

Japanese culture places huge emphasis on social hierarchy and group dynamics. The family vocabulary system reflects values that have existed for centuries, where age, gender, and social position determine how you speak.

The distinction between in-group and out-group communication runs deep in Japanese culture. Your family is part of your identity, so when representing yourself to outsiders, you humble your own group while elevating others. This applies beyond just family terms to how you talk about your company, your school, and other groups you belong to.

The age-based hierarchy for siblings connects to the traditional family structure where the oldest son held special responsibilities and inheritance rights. Even though modern Japanese society has changed significantly, the language still carries these historical patterns.

Building your Japanese vocabulary systematically

Learning family terms is just one piece of building your Japanese vocabulary. The good news is that once you understand the pattern here, you'll recognize similar patterns throughout the language.

Start by memorizing the basic reference terms for immediate family. Get comfortable with chichi, haha, ani, ane, otouto, and imouto. Then add the polite versions. Once those are solid, expand to extended family.

Practice using these terms in context. Make up sentences about your own family using the humble forms. Describe a friend's family using the polite forms. The more you actively use the words, the more natural the distinctions will feel.

Pay attention to how native speakers use these terms in real content. Watch Japanese shows, read manga, or listen to podcasts and notice which family words people use in different situations. Context teaches you the nuances that vocabulary lists can't fully capture.

Distant relatives and less common family terms

Want to know a distant family term? Japanese has specific words for relationships like nephew (, oi), niece (, mei), and even great-grandparents (, sousofu for great-grandfather, , sousobo for great-grandmother).

For step-family relationships, you typically use (kei) as a prefix. Stepfather would be (keifu), stepmother (keibo).

Adopted children are referred to as (youshi), and adoptive parents use (you) as a prefix: (youfu) for adoptive father.

These terms come up less frequently in everyday conversation, but they're useful to know if you're discussing family situations in depth or reading Japanese literature where complex family relationships appear.

Putting it all together: real usage examples

Let's look at how these terms work in actual sentences. If you're introducing your family to a Japanese friend, you might say: (Watashi no chichi wa kaishain desu) meaning "My father is a company employee." You use chichi because you're talking about your own father.

If you're asking about their family: (Otousan wa ogenki desu ka) meaning "How is your father?" You use otousan to show respect for their family member.

At home, you might call out: (Okaasan, gohan dekita?) meaning "Mom, is dinner ready?" Here you use the polite form because you're addressing her directly.

Understanding when to use each term becomes intuitive with practice. The Japanese language has these built-in social cues that guide respectful communication.

Learning Japanese family vocabulary in 2026

The way people learn Japanese has evolved significantly over the past few years. While traditional textbooks still teach family vocabulary through lists and tables, immersive learning methods have become way more accessible.

Digital tools let you encounter these words in natural contexts rather than just memorizing isolated vocabulary. When you see a character call their older brother "niisan" in an anime, or read about someone's "haha" in a blog post, the context reinforces the meaning and usage in a way that sticks better than flashcards alone.

That said, you still need to actively study the kanji and understand the systematic differences between reference and address terms. The cultural knowledge matters as much as the vocabulary itself.

Anyway, if you want to see these family terms in actual Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension lets you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. Makes learning from real material way more practical. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.