Two sets of words for every family member
One of the most distinctive features of Japanese family vocabulary is that it has two parallel sets of words: humble (kenjougo) forms used when referring to your own family, and respectful (sonkeigo) forms used when talking about someone else's family. Using the wrong set is a significant social error.
For example, your own mother is 母 (haha), but you refer to someone else's mother as お母さん (okaasan). Your own father is 父 (chichi); someone else's father is お父さん (otousan).
Core family kanji
The most important family kanji: 母 (mother), 父 (father), 兄 (older brother), 弟 (younger brother), 姉 (older sister), 妹 (younger sister), 祖母 (grandmother), 祖父 (grandfather), 家族 (family), 夫 (husband), 妻 (wife), 息子 (son), 娘 (daughter).
Notice that Japanese distinguishes older and younger siblings — there is no single word for "brother" or "sister." 兄 is specifically an older brother; 弟 is a younger brother. This reflects the importance of birth order in Japanese family and social hierarchy.
When addressing family members directly or talking about your own family to close friends, the okaasan / otoosan forms are commonly used even for your own relatives in casual speech. The strictly humble forms (haha, chichi) are reserved for more formal contexts, especially business conversations.
Family words in compound kanji
Family kanji appear widely in compound words: 親 (parent) forms 両親 (ryoushin — both parents), 親友 (shin'yuu — close friend), 親切 (shinsetsu — kindness). 家族 (family) combines 家 (house/home) with 族 (tribe/group). Understanding these components helps you read unfamiliar compounds.
Explore family kanji
See the dedicated pages for mother, father, family, and more.