家族
Kazoku
Family

Parents

If you add "o" and "san", it makes the noun more honorific. Simple, no? Also, when talking about your own family members, you almost never use the formal version, but the informal version, or vice-versa.(Rondillo)

お母さん　OR　母さん
Okaasan or Kaasan
Mother
*This is very formal (Okaasan being more formal)

母
Haha
Mom
*Not as formal

姑
Shuutome
Mother in law

お父さん　OR　父さん
Otousan or Tousan
Father
*Very formal (Otousan being more formal)

父
Chichi
Dad
*Unformal

舅
Shuuto
Father in law

Children

我が子
Wagako
Children
*You'd generally use this when you're referring to somebody's child or children.

娘
Musume
Daughter

息
Musuko
Son

Siblings

Just like the parents, adding "o" and "san" makes the noun more honorific. Like, oneesan could also be used to describe a big sister-like person. So you could call someone "oneesan" if they're like a big sister.

兄弟
Keitei or Kyoudai (more common)
Siblings

姉妹
Shimai (more commonly "kyoudai")
Sisters

*For brothers, you'd just say "kyoudai"

お姉さん　OR　姉さん
Oneesan or Neesan (Oneesan being more formal)
Older sister

お兄さん　OR　兄さん
Oniisan or Niisan
Older brother

妹さん　OR　妹
Imoutosan or Imouto
Younger sister

音さん　OR　音
Otosan or oto
Younger brother

義姉
Ane
Sister in law

義兄
Ani
Brother in law

Aunts and Uncles

An important note is 伯 and 叔. 伯 means older than one's parents, and 叔 means younger than one's parents. They make the same sound, but they matter in writing.

伯母さん
Obasan
Aunt

叔母さん
Obasan
Aunt

大伯母
Ohobasan
Great aunt

伯父さん
Ojisan
Uncle

叔父さん
Ojisan
Uncle

大伯父
Ohojisan
Great uncle

いとこ
Itoko
Cousin

Grandparents

祖父母
Sofubo
Grandparents

曽祖父母
Sousofubo
Great Grandparents

お祖母さん　OR　祖母さん
Osobosan or Baasan
Grandmother

お祖父さん　OR 祖父さん
Osofusan or Jiisan
Grandfather

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! If I forgot something, tell me! This took a lot of work, so I might have forgotten something.

I'm just adding a little something. I'm just gonna say that usually the more informal way of calling family members is pretty much restricted to your own family only and Japanese people usually don't call their own family members in the most formal way. Or so I've been taught.

you can also call your mother

Ofkuro = mother
oyaji = father (but this is like calling your dad old man)

oh i thought that oyaji is normal to say..
now i know that it is a bit rude

well thx for the post

thanks for your great effort.

thats really nice post. but I have a small question what do you call your wife??

thanks again

thanks for your great effort.

thats really nice post. but I have a small question what do you call your wife??

thanks again

If you're talking about someone else's wife, you want to say 奥様 (okusama). If you're talking about your wife, you want to say 妻 (tsuma), at least that's the most common one I've heard.

Again, very helpful. Arigatou!

well, I'm not Japanese....but I did grow up speaking it....my little brother is half Japanese though....but can I ask....he calls my mom kaa-chan....I don't know if he's the only one who does it....but he's always done it....and he calls me onee-chan....can't this be used too? -chan is younger lady ne?


oh and i almost forgot....we call my brother in law aniki....is that wrong too.....

please tell me it isn't! That'll mean I've been speaking the rudest, improper, wrongest Japanese since I was like 4!

This post was last modified: 07-31-2008 10:03 PM by lilbunnyjr6207.

On a tv show, I saw someone call his extremely close friend who was like a big brother to them 'aniki', so maybe it is right for brother-in-laws (who's practically like a brother) and people who you are not related to, but see as 'big brother-types.