Family in Japanese
In today’s free lesson you’ll learn how to talk about your family in Japanese. Practice your Japanese pronunciation as you listen to the audio, and while you’re at it – take a closer look at the different ways to say 'my' in Japanese.
Resources for further reading:
How to pronounce family in Japanese
Let’s look at some immediate family members:
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
Rocket Record lets you perfect your Japanese pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
父
ちち
chichi
father
母
はは
haha
mother
私の両親
わたし の りょうしん
Watashi no ryōshin
My parents
兄
あに
ani
older brother
姉
あね
ane
older sister
弟
おとうと
otōto
younger brother
妹
いもうと
imōto
younger sister
How about your extended family?
おば
oba
(my) aunt
おじ
oji
(my) uncle
祖父
そふ
sofu
(my) grandfather
祖母
そぼ
sobo
(my) grandmother
私の従兄弟（従姉妹）
わたし の いとこ
Watashi no itoko
My cousins
私の親戚
わたし の しんせき
Watashi no shinseki
My relatives
Now for some romantic relationships:
私の妻
わたし の つま
Watashi no tsuma
My wife
私の夫
わたし の おっと
Watashi no otto
My husband
私のボーイフレンド
わたし の ボーイフレンド
Watashi no bōifurendo
My boyfriend
私の彼氏
わたし の かれし
Watashi no kareshi
My boyfriend
私のガールフレンド
わたし の ガールフレンド
Watashi no gārufurendo
My girlfriend
私の彼女
わたし の かのじょ
Watashi no kanojo
My girlfriend
Now, can you use these words in a sentence to describe your family?
私の姉(妹)は日本に住んでいます
わたし の あね（いもうと） は にほん に すんで います
Watashi no ane (imōto) wa nihon ni sunde imasu.
My older sister (younger sister) lives in Japan
私の兄(弟)は背が高い
わたし の あに（おとうと） は せ が たかい
Watashi no ani (otōto) wa se ga takai.
My older brother (younger brother) is tall
Now you're all set to describe your family in Japanese.
Here are a few recommended Japanese lessons to try next!
- Looking for popular entertainment for going out in Japanese? Check out this lesson.
- Saying Happy Birthday in Japanese.
- Talking about your health in Japanese.
Sayōnara!
Sayaka Matsuura: Rocket Japanese
Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement
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