Family Kanji: Mother, Father, Older & Younger Siblings
Learn the kanji for every family member — 母 父 兄 弟 姉 妹 — plus the crucial humble vs honorific split for talking about your family vs someone else's.
Family vocabulary is early-stage essential, but Japanese has a twist: you use different words for your own family (humble) versus someone else's (honorific). The kanji stay the same — the readings and politeness change.
The core six
| Kanji | Meaning | Your family | Someone else's |
|---|---|---|---|
| 父 | father | 父 (chichi) | お父さん (otōsan) |
| 母 | mother | 母 (haha) | お母さん (okāsan) |
| 兄 | older brother | 兄 (ani) | お兄さん (onīsan) |
| 弟 | younger brother | 弟 (otōto) | 弟さん (otōtosan) |
| 姉 | older sister | 姉 (ane) | お姉さん (onēsan) |
| 妹 | younger sister | 妹 (imōto) | 妹さん (imōtosan) |
Why two words per person
When you talk about your own family to others, Japanese humility lowers them: chichi, haha, ani. When you ask about or refer to someone else's family, you raise them with お…さん: otōsan, okāsan, onīsan. Using otōsan for your own dad to a stranger sounds slightly childish; using chichi for someone else's dad sounds rude.
Building outward
- 両親 (ryōshin) — parents (both).
- 兄弟 (kyōdai) — siblings (literally older + younger brother, but used generally).
- 姉妹 (shimai) — sisters.
- 家族 (kazoku) — family. 祖父 (sofu) grandfather, 祖母 (sobo) grandmother.
Learn kanji the reading-first way
Kanji 360 wraps every character with mnemonics, audio readings, stroke-order animation, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
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