Japanese Family Words (家族) — Your Family vs Others

Family vocabulary in Japanese has a twist: you use different words for your own family versus someone else''s.

Talking about your own family (humble)

• 父 (chichi) — my father · 母 (haha) — my mother
• 兄 (ani) — my older brother · 姉 (ane) — my older sister
• 弟 (otōto) — younger brother · 妹 (imōto) — younger sister

Talking about someone else''s family (polite)

• お父さん (otōsan) — (your) father · お母さん (okāsan) — mother
• お兄さん (onīsan) — older brother · お姉さん (onēsan) — older sister
• 弟さん / 妹さん — younger siblings

Why two sets?

It reflects Japanese humility — you lower your own family and elevate others''. Children also address their own parents as お父さん/お母さん directly.

Learn both columns together and you''ll navigate family conversations politely.