Words for family, and brothers relations

Words for family, and brothers relations.

Take a look at the image.
This is an image of the big family in Japan.
These are names in general family relationships.
In Japanese, the terms of family relationships differ according to whether you are talking about your own family to someone else, or the other person's family.

Name used at home

If the basis is me, A is my elder sister, and B is my elder brother.

My elder sister is あね/姉[ane] in Japanese.
And, my elder brother is あに/兄[ani] in Japanese.

"Elder brother, younger brother...".

These are regular expression in English.
The expression in Japanese is not only one.
I teach you several expressions that each of the Japanese uses.

• The asterisk mark is a name being liked by the Japanese.
• A polite name is used by the conversation etc. between an official document and others.

<INDEX>:
Father, Mother, Elder brother, Elder sister, Younger brother, Younger sister, Grandfather, Grandmother.

Japanese Vocabulary for Big Family

English	*	Japanese	Hiragana	Pronunciation
Father	父 (Polite name)		ちち	chichi
	*	お父さん	おとうさん	otô san
	*	親父	おやじ	oyaji
		パパ	ぱぱ	papa
		父さん	とうさん	tô san
		父ちゃん	とうちゃん	tô chan
		おとん	おとん	oton
		Others	-------	-------
Mother	母 (Polite name)		はは	haha
	*	お母さん	おかあさん	okâ san
	*	ママ	まま	mama
	*	母さん	かあさん	kâ san
		お母ちゃん	おかあちゃん	okâ chan
		おかん	おかん	okan
		おっ母	おっかあ	okkâ
		母ちゃん	かあちゃん	kâ chan
		Others	-------	-------
Elder brother	兄 (Polite name)		あに	ani
	*	お兄ちゃん	おにいちゃん	onii chan
	*	兄さん	にいさん	nii san
	*	兄貴	あにき	aniki
	*	兄ちゃん	にいちゃん	nii chan
	*	あんちゃん	あんちゃん	an chan
		お兄さん	おにいさん	onii san
		Others	-------	-------
Elder sister	姉 (Polite name)		あね	ane
	*	お姉ちゃん	おねえちゃん	onē chan
	*	姉さん	ねえさん	nē san
	*	姉ちゃん	ねえちゃん	nē chan
	*	姉貴	あねき	aneki
		お姉さん	おねえさん	onē san
		お姉さま	おねえさま	onē sama
		Others	-------	-------
Younger brother	弟 (Polite name)		おとうと	otôto
	*	First name	-------	-------
	*	First name + 君	-------	First name + kun
		Others	-------	-------
	What meaning is "First name + 君[kun]"? This is used only for boys or men. It's usually casual and only used by friends or relatives, but people from a higher status can use this on the name of someone lower than them. It's not any more impolite.(If anything, it is an honorific title.) Diet members in Japan also are using Kun on official occasions. Example: Kazuo(First name) Yoshida(Family name). He is called "Kazuo kun".
Younger sister	妹 (Polite name)		いもうと	imôto
	*	First name	-------	-------
	*	First name + ちゃん	-------	First name + chan
		Others	-------	-------
	What meaning is "First name + ちゃん[chan]"? This is also similar to "kun". My name is Rie(First name) Hara(Family name). So, I am called "Rie chan". <Advice: Because it is very impolite, you should not use "chan" for woman over 30.
Grandfather	祖父 (Polite name)		そふ	sofu
	*	お爺ちゃん	おじいちゃん	ojii chan
	*	爺ちゃん	じいちゃん	jii chan
	*	爺じ	じいじ	jiiji
	*	爺っちゃん	じっちゃん	jicchan
		お爺さん	おじいさん	ojii san
		爺さん	じいさん	jii san
		Others	-------	-------
Grandmother	祖母 (Polite name)		そぼ	sobo
	*	お婆ちゃん	おばあちゃん	obâ chan
	*	婆ちゃん	ばあちゃん	bâ chan
	*	婆ば	ばあば	bâba
	*	婆っちゃん	ばっちゃん	bacchan
		お婆さん	おばあさん	obâ san
		婆さん	ばあさん	bâ san
		Others	-------	-------

 

Name used with conversation and official document with others

Then, please see the next image.
If the basis is home, another name is used for each name.

These are formal expressions.
In the official documents such as family registers, these are used.
Also in everyday life, it is sometimes used.

 

<Hararie's Bytalk>:
Well, traditionally, the chonan and wife are expected to take care of the chonan's parents, and this often involves living at the same household.
But, because of work and the falling birthrate, this traditional arrangement may be impossible in recent Japan.

	Name in kanji	Pronunciation	Meaning
A	長女	chô jo	Eldest daughter in this home.
B	長男	chô nan	Eldest son in this home.
C	二女（次女）	ji jo	Second daughter in this home.
D	二男（次男）	ji nan	Second son of this home.
E	三男	san nan	Third son of this home.
F	三女	san jo	Third daughter in this home.

Expression of the brother in Japanese

For example, "the brother who consists of six persons."
In Japanese and English, expressions completely differ.

In English, it is "Three brothers and three sisters".
in Japanese, it is "６人兄弟[rokunin kyodai]".

 

Hararie