JLPT N5 Vocabulary – How to Refer to Family

Table of Contents

1. How to Refer to Family
2. When talking about your own family
3. When talking about someone else’s family
4. What do you call them within the family?
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comment

Q: Is it necessary to distinguish between “母はは” and “お母かあさん” in usage?

A: In Japan, you must change the way you refer to your own family and someone else’s family.

When referring to your own family, you do not use honorifics, but when referring to someone else’s family, you use “お” or “ご” before the title and you add “さん” to the family member’s name. Additionally, to show higher respect, you can use “さま”.

	Your own family	Someone else’s family *You can change “さん” to “さま”
Family	家族かぞく	ご家族かぞく
Father	父ちち	お父とうさん
Mother	母はは	お母かあさん
Grandfather	祖父そふ	おじいさん
Grandmother	祖母そぼ	おばあさん
Older brother	兄あに	お兄にいさん
Younger brother	弟おとうと	弟おとうとさん
Older sister	姉あね	お姉ねえさん
Younger sister	妹いもうと	妹いもうとさん
Husband	夫おっと、主人しゅじん	ご主人しゅじん
Wife	妻つま	奥おくさん
Children	子こども	お子こさん
Son	息子むすこ	息子むすこさん
Daughter	娘むすめ	娘むすめさん
Parents	両親りょうしん	ご両親りょうしん

When talking about your own family

“さん” and “お・ご” are used to show respect to others, so they are not used when talking about your own family to people outside the family.
Also, in Japanese, it is understood that you are talking about “your family” even without saying “わたしの…(my)”, so it is not necessary to include it.

[Examples]
父ちちは会社かいしゃ員いんです。
My father is a company employee.

母ははは買かい物ものに行いきました。
My mother went shopping.

兄あにはサッカーが上手じょうずです。
My older brother is good at soccer.

妹いもうとは宿題しゅくだいをしています。
My younger sister is doing her homework.

祖母そぼと祖父そふは元気げんきです。
My grandmother and grandfather are well.

両親りょうしんは東京とうきょうに住すんでいます。
My parents live in Tokyo.

When talking about someone else’s family

In Japan, to show respect to someone else’s family, you use “お・ご” at the beginning and “さん・さま” at the end to address them politely.

[Examples]
お父とうさんはお元気げんきですか。
How is your father?

お母かあさんはいらっしゃいますか。
Is your mother home?

弟おとうとさん、絵えが上手じょうずなんですね。
Your younger brother is good at drawing, isn’t he?

お姉ねえさんはご結婚けっこんされているんですか。
Is your older sister married?

おばあさまへのプレゼントですか。
Is this a present for your grandmother?

ご夫婦ふうふでお出でかけですか。
Are you going out with your spouse?

What do you call them within the family?

“父ちち” and “母はは” are used when talking about your own family to others. Therefore, within the family, they are called “お父とうさん” and “お母かあさん”.

For father and mother, “さん” is used in the same way, but for others, regardless of gender, “ちゃん” is often used.
Additionally, when addressing younger brothers and sisters, their given names are used.

[Examples]
A：お姉ねえちゃん、わたしのマンガ知しらない？
B：知しらないよ。ゆみの部屋へやにないの？
A: Older sister, do you know where my manga is?
B: I don’t know. Isn’t it in your room?

A：あれ、お父とうさんとお母かあさんはどこ？　
B：お父とうさんはおじいちゃんの家いえに行いって、お母かあさんはお兄にいちゃんと出でかけたよ。
A: Oh, where are Dad and Mom?
B: Dad went to Grandpa’s house, and Mom went out with our older brother.

Father	お父とうさん
Mother	お母かあさん
Grandfather	おじいちゃん
Grandmother	おばあちゃん
Older brother	お兄にいちゃん
Younger brother	–
Older sister	お姉ねえちゃん
Younger sister	–

Summary

• When talking about your own family to people outside the family, do not use honorifics.
• When talking about someone else’s family, use “さん” or “さま” and “お” or “ご” to convey respect.
• Within the family, “さん” and “ちゃん” are often used to address each other.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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