Japanese family terms have a unique rule: you use different words for your own family vs. someone else's family. Your mother is 「母 (はは)」, but someone else's mother is 「お母さん (おかあさん)」. Learning these kanji isn't just vocabulary — it's understanding the Japanese cultural concept of "inside vs. outside."
This article teaches you 20 family and kinship kanji.
Core Kanji Table
Nuclear Family
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 父 | フ (fu) | ちち (chichi) | father | 父 (ちち, father), 父親 (ちちおや, father) | Humble: 父, Polite: お父さん |
| 母 | ボ (bo) | はは (haha) | mother | 母 (はは, mother), 母親 (ははおや, mother) | Humble: 母, Polite: お母さん |
| 兄 | ケイ (kei) | あに (ani) | older brother | 兄 (あに, older brother), 兄弟 (きょうだい, siblings) | Humble: 兄, Polite: お兄さん |
| 弟 | テイ (tei)・ダイ (dai) | おとうと (otōto) | younger brother | 弟 (おとうと, younger brother), 弟子 (でし, disciple) | 弟子 = disciple/apprentice |
| 姉 | シ (shi) | あね (ane) | older sister | 姉 (あね, older sister), 姉妹 (しまい, sisters) | Humble: 姉, Polite: お姉さん |
| 妹 | マイ (mai) | いもうと (imōto) | younger sister | 妹 (いもうと, younger sister), 姉妹 (しまい, sisters) | 姉妹 = sisters |
Marriage
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 夫 | フ (fu)・フウ (fū) | おっと (otto) | husband | 夫 (おっと, husband), 夫婦 (ふうふ, married couple) | 夫婦 = husband & wife |
| 妻 | サイ (sai) | つま (tsuma) | wife | 妻 (つま, wife), 夫妻 (ふさい, married couple) | Humble term for one's own wife |
| 嫁 | カ (ka) | よめ (yome) | bride / daughter-in-law | 嫁 (よめ, bride), 花嫁 (はなよめ, bride) | 花嫁 = bride |
| 婿 | セイ (sei) | むこ (muko) | groom / son-in-law | 婿 (むこ, groom), 花婿 (はなむこ, groom) | 花婿 = groom |
| 婚 | コン (kon) | — | marriage | 結婚 (けっこん, marriage), 婚約 (こんやく, engagement) | 結婚 = marriage |
Extended Family
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 子 | シ (shi) | こ (ko) | child | 子供 (こども, child), 女子 (じょし, girl/woman) | One of the most common kanji |
| 孫 | ソン (son) | まご (mago) | grandchild | 孫 (まご, grandchild), 子孫 (しそん, descendants) | 子孫 = descendants |
| 娘 | — | むすめ (musume) | daughter | 娘 (むすめ, daughter), お嬢さん (おじょうさん, young lady) | NOT "mother" like in Chinese! |
| 児 | ジ (ji)・ニ (ni) | — | child (formal) | 幼児 (ようじ, infant), 児童 (じどう, child) | 児童 = child (formal) |
| 親 | シン (shin) | おや (oya) | parent / intimate | 親 (おや, parent), 親切 (しんせつ, kind) | 親切 = kind/friendly |
| 族 | ゾク (zoku) | — | clan / tribe | 家族 (かぞく, family), 民族 (みんぞく, ethnic group) | 家族 = family |
| 祖 | ソ (so) | — | ancestor | 祖父 (そふ, grandfather), 祖母 (そぼ, grandmother) | 祖父母 = grandparents |
| 翁 | オウ (ō) | おきな (okina) | old man | 翁 (おきな, old man), 老翁 (ろうおう, elderly man) | 竹取の翁 = the bamboo cutter |
| 姫 | キ (ki) | ひめ (hime) | princess | 姫 (ひめ, princess), お姫様 (おひめさま, princess) | かぐや姫 = Princess Kaguya |
Inside vs. Outside: Humble vs. Polite Terms
The most important cultural concept in Japanese kinship — use humble terms for your own family, polite terms for others' family:
| Relation | Humble (own family) | Polite (others' family) |
|---|---|---|
| Father | 父 (ちち) | お父さん (おとうさん) |
| Mother | 母 (はは) | お母さん (おかあさん) |
| Older brother | 兄 (あに) | お兄さん (おにいさん) |
| Older sister | 姉 (あね) | お姉さん (おねえさん) |
| Younger brother | 弟 (おとうと) | 弟さん (おとうとさん) |
| Younger sister | 妹 (いもうと) | 妹さん (いもうとさん) |
| Husband | 夫 (おっと) | ご主人 (ごしゅじん) |
| Wife | 妻 (つま) | 奥さん (おくさん) |
This is the ウチとソト (inside vs. outside) culture: when speaking to outsiders, you humbly refer to your own family members.
The 娘 False Friend
Chinese 娘 = mother, but Japanese 娘 = daughter!
| Japanese | Chinese | |
|---|---|---|
| 娘 | daughter (むすめ) | mother |
| お嬢さん | young lady / someone's daughter | — |
| 娘さん | your daughter | — |
Practice
Q1. When chatting with a coworker, how should you refer to your mother?
Show answer
母 (はは). When mentioning your own mother to outsiders, use the humble term 母, not お母さん. お母さん is for referring to someone else's mother, or calling your own mother directly at home.
Q2. What do 花嫁 and 花婿 mean?
Show answer
Bride and groom. 花嫁 (はなよめ) = bride, 花婿 (はなむこ) = groom. The 花 (flower) prefix means "decorated/festive."
Q3. What does Japanese 娘 mean?
Show answer
Daughter. Japanese 娘 (むすめ) = daughter, NOT "mother" as in Chinese. This is a classic false friend between the two languages.
Q4. How do you read 弟子 and what does it mean?
Show answer
でし = disciple/apprentice. It's NOT read おとうとこ — it uses the on'yomi reading でし. It means a student or apprentice under a master.
Q5. Why can 兄弟 (きょうだい) include sisters?
Show answer
兄弟 is used broadly in Japanese. Although the kanji literally say "older brother + younger brother," きょうだい means "all siblings" (brothers AND sisters). To specify only sisters, use 姉妹 (しまい).
Summary
- The core of Japanese kinship is "inside vs. outside" — humble for your own family (父, 母), polite for others' (お父さん, お母さん)
- 娘 is a false friend: Japanese = daughter, Chinese = mother
- 兄弟 (きょうだい) = all siblings (including sisters), not just brothers
- 花嫁/花婿 = bride/groom, 結婚 = marriage
- Next up: Society — learn kanji like 人, 民, 王, 臣 for social roles