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Japanese Family Kanji: Learn Family Member Words in Japanese

Master Japanese family kanji: 父 (chichi/father), 母 (haha/mother), 兄 (ani/older brother), 姉 (ane/older sister), and more. Each family kanji includes the character, hiragana reading, romaji pronunciation, and example sentences for daily conversation.

Japanese Family Kanji at a Glance

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Humble vs Honorific

Japanese has two sets of family words: humble forms for your own family (父 chichi, 母 haha) and honorific forms for someone else's family (お父さん otousan, お母さん okaasan). This reflects the importance of respect in Japanese culture.

📖 Core Vocabulary

Family kanji appear in daily conversation, formal documents, and even business settings. Words like 家族 (kazoku, family) and 兄弟 (kyoudai, siblings) are essential beginner vocabulary.

✅ JLPT Levels

Most family kanji are JLPT N5-N4 level: 父, 母, 兄, 姉, 弟, 妹, 子 are among the first kanji any learner encounters. Extended family kanji like 祖 and 婚 appear at N3-N2.

Common Japanese Family Kanji

These fourteen family kanji cover immediate family members, relatives, and key family-related concepts used in everyday Japanese.

MeaningKanjiHiraganaRomajiJLPT
Father父ちちchichiN5
Mother母ははhahaN5
Older Brother兄あにaniN4
Older Sister姉あねaneN4
Younger Brother弟おとうとotoutoN4
Younger Sister妹いもうとimoutoN4
Child子こkoN5
Wife妻つまtsumaN3
Husband夫おっとottoN3
Parent親おやoyaN3
Family族ぞくzokuN4
Grandfather祖そsoN3
Daughter娘むすめmusumeN3
Son息むすこmusukoN3

All Japanese Family Kanji

Explore each family kanji with its readings and an example sentence used in everyday Japanese.

👨
父
Father
ちち (chichi)
On'yomi: フ (fu)|Kun'yomi: ちち (chichi)

Example:

父は毎朝新聞を読みます。

Chichi wa maiasa shinbun o yomimasu.

My father reads the newspaper every morning.

👩
母
Mother
はは (haha)
On'yomi: ボ (bo)|Kun'yomi: はは (haha)

Example:

母の料理は世界一です。

Haha no ryouri wa sekai-ichi desu.

My mother's cooking is the best in the world.

👦
兄
Older Brother
あに (ani)
On'yomi: ケイ (kei), キョウ (kyou)|Kun'yomi: あに (ani)

Example:

兄は大学で医学を勉強しています。

Ani wa daigaku de igaku o benkyou shite imasu.

My older brother is studying medicine at university.

👧
姉
Older Sister
あね (ane)
On'yomi: シ (shi)|Kun'yomi: あね (ane)

Example:

姉は来月結婚します。

Ane wa raigetsu kekkon shimasu.

My older sister is getting married next month.

👦
弟
Younger Brother
おとうと (otouto)
On'yomi: テイ (tei), ダイ (dai)|Kun'yomi: おとうと (otouto)

Example:

弟はサッカーが上手です。

Otouto wa sakkaa ga jouzu desu.

My younger brother is good at soccer.

👧
妹
Younger Sister
いもうと (imouto)
On'yomi: マイ (mai)|Kun'yomi: いもうと (imouto)

Example:

妹は今年高校生になりました。

Imouto wa kotoshi koukousei ni narimashita.

My younger sister became a high school student this year.

👶
子
Child
こ (ko)
On'yomi: シ (shi), ス (su)|Kun'yomi: こ (ko)

Example:

子供たちが公園で遊んでいます。

Kodomotachi ga kouen de asonde imasu.

The children are playing in the park.

👩
妻
Wife
つま (tsuma)
On'yomi: サイ (sai)|Kun'yomi: つま (tsuma)

Example:

妻と一緒に旅行に行きます。

Tsuma to issho ni ryokou ni ikimasu.

I will go on a trip with my wife.

👨
夫
Husband
おっと (otto)
On'yomi: フ (fu), フウ (fuu)|Kun'yomi: おっと (otto)

Example:

夫は会社で働いています。

Otto wa kaisha de hataraite imasu.

My husband is working at the company.

👪
親
Parent
おや (oya)
On'yomi: シン (shin)|Kun'yomi: おや (oya), したしい (shitashii)

Example:

親に感謝しています。

Oya ni kansha shite imasu.

I am grateful to my parents.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
族
Family / Clan
ぞく (zoku)
On'yomi: ゾク (zoku)|Kun'yomi: None

Example:

家族で温泉に行きました。

Kazoku de onsen ni ikimashita.

We went to a hot spring as a family.

👴
祖
Ancestor / Grand-
そ (so)
On'yomi: ソ (so)|Kun'yomi: None

Example:

祖父は九十歳です。

Sofu wa kyuujussai desu.

My grandfather is ninety years old.

👧
娘
Daughter
むすめ (musume)
On'yomi: None|Kun'yomi: むすめ (musume)

Example:

娘は絵を描くのが好きです。

Musume wa e o kaku no ga suki desu.

My daughter likes drawing pictures.

👦
息
Son / Breath
むすこ (musuko)
On'yomi: ソク (soku)|Kun'yomi: いき (iki)

Example:

息子は野球チームに入りました。

Musuko wa yakyuu chiimu ni hairimashita.

My son joined a baseball team.

Family Compound Words (Jukugo)

Japanese creates rich family vocabulary by combining kanji. These compound words are essential for talking about relatives, family events, and social relationships.

CompoundReadingMeaning
家族かぞく (kazoku)Family (lit. house + clan)
父母ふぼ (fubo)Parents (lit. father + mother)
兄弟きょうだい (kyoudai)Siblings (lit. older brother + younger brother)
姉妹しまい (shimai)Sisters (lit. older sister + younger sister)
親子おやこ (oyako)Parent and child (lit. parent + child)
夫妻ふさい (fusai)Married couple (lit. husband + wife)
夫婦ふうふ (fuufu)Husband and wife / married couple
祖父そふ (sofu)Grandfather (lit. ancestor + father)
祖母そぼ (sobo)Grandmother (lit. ancestor + mother)
息子むすこ (musuko)Son (lit. breath + child)
子供こども (kodomo)Children (lit. child + accompany)
親友しんゆう (shinyuu)Best friend (lit. close/parent + friend)
父親ちちおや (chichioya)Father (lit. father + parent)
母親ははおや (hahaoya)Mother (lit. mother + parent)

Family in Japanese Culture

Humble vs Honorific: Two Sets of Family Words

Japanese uses different words when referring to your own family (humble) versus someone else's family (honorific). This is one of the most important distinctions for learners to master.

父 → お父さん
My father → Your/his father
母 → お母さん
My mother → Your/his mother
兄 → お兄さん
My older brother → Your older brother

Family-Related Expressions

Family kanji appear in many common Japanese expressions and proverbs (kotowaza).

親の心子知らず

Oya no kokoro ko shirazu

"A child does not know the parent's heart": Children don't appreciate their parents' love and worry.

兄弟は他人の始まり

Kyoudai wa tanin no hajimari

"Siblings are the beginning of strangers": Even siblings grow apart over time, especially after marriage.

子は鎹

Ko wa kasugai

"Children are the clamp": Children hold a marriage together; they are the bond between husband and wife.

親しき仲にも礼儀あり

Shitashiki naka ni mo reigi ari

"Even between close friends, there must be courtesy": Respect is important even in the closest relationships.

Tips for Remembering Japanese Family Kanji

👨‍👩‍👧 Learn in Pairs

Family kanji come in natural pairs: 父/母 (father/mother), 兄/姉 (older brother/sister), 弟/妹 (younger brother/sister). Learning them together strengthens your memory through contrast.

🗣 Practice Both Forms

Always learn the humble and honorific forms together. When talking about your own mother, say 母 (haha). When asking about someone else's mother, say お母さん (okaasan). This social distinction is essential.

📺 Watch Family Dramas

Japanese TV dramas (ドラマ) frequently feature family interactions. Watching with subtitles lets you hear family kanji in natural contexts: who calls whom what, and when formality shifts.

🃏 Collect Family Cards

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