Family Members

Before learning how to say each family member in Japanese, we need to understand that, unlike in Portuguese, the words vary depending on whether we are talking about our own family or someone else's. But why is that? In the Japanese language, respect is an extremely important concept. Therefore, if we are referring to someone else's relative, we use a more respectful form; if we are talking about our own relative, we use a more humble form.

For example, if I am talking about my father to someone else, I would say "Chichi" (父). However, if I am talking about someone else's father, I would say "Otou-san" (お父さん). This latter form is also used to address primary family members directly.

Family Members in Japanese

In English	Someone Else's Family	My Family	Addressing Them
Father	おとうさん	ちち	おとうさん
Mother	おかあさん	はは	おかあさん
Older Brother	おにいさん	あに	おにいさん
Younger Brother	おとうとさん	おとうと	By name
Older Sister	おねえさん	あね	おねえさん
Younger Sister	いもうとさん	いもうと	By name
Grandfather	おじいさん	そふ	おじいさん
Grandmother	おばあさん	そぼ	おばあさん
Uncle	おじさん	おじ	おじさん
Aunt	おばさん	おば	おばさん
Husband	ごしゅじん	おっと	By name or "you"
Wife	おくさん	かない	By name or "you"
Children	おこさん	こども	By names
Son	むすこさん	むすこ	By name
Daughter	おじょうさん	むすめ	By name
Cousin	いとこさん	いとこ	By name
Nephew	おいごさん	おい	By name
Niece	めいごさん	めい	By name
Grandchild	おまごさん	まご	By name
Family	ごかぞく	かぞく
Parents	ごりょうしん	りょうしん
Relatives	ごしんぞく	しんじく
Couple	ごふうふ	ふうふ
Father-in-law	ぎりのおとうさん	ぎりのちち	By name
Mother-in-law	ぎりのおかあさん	ぎりのはは	By name
Older Brother-in-law	ぎりのおにいさん	ぎりのあに	By name
Younger Brother-in-law	ぎりのおとうとさん	ぎりのおとうと	By name
Older Sister-in-law	ぎりのおねえさん	ぎりのあね	By name
Younger Sister-in-law	ぎりのいもうとさん	ぎりのいもうと	By name
Son-in-law	ぎりのむすこさん	ぎりのむすこ	By name
Daughter-in-law	ぎりのおじょうさん	ぎりのむすめ	By name

As with any language, there are exceptions and variations in Japanese family terms, much like in English. For instance, terms of endearment like "daddy" or "mommy" may be used in place of formal titles. However, the ones listed here represent the standard conventions. As you delve deeper into your Japanese studies, you'll encounter additional expressions and subtletie