Family is no doubt one of the most important things in any culture. For people who are getting married soon or already are (congratulations!), you might be curious about Japanese words for family members. There are many ways to say husband in Japanese: otto (夫 / おっと) is the general term, but shujin (主人 / … Read more

Otoko no ko or danshi? Depending on age and stage of life, there are a few ways to say ‘boy’ in Japanese. Words for describing people in Japanese have different uses and nuances. Here we will go over the different words for ‘boy’ in Japanese and how to use them in the right context.   … Read more

You probably recognize the kanji for woman/female, 女, but how do you say ‘girl’ in Japanese?  There are several words for ‘girl’ in Japanese and many of you know that this is because Japanese has formal and informal ways of describing people.  For example, even though the kanji just mentioned for ‘woman’ is onna / … Read more

Among the first few vocabulary we learn in any language is how to call our family members. A standard word for father in Japanese is otousan (お父さん / おとうさん). But did you know that there are many other ways to refer to your father in Japanese? Depending on who you are speaking to or talking … Read more

Unlike the English language, there is no single word for ‘brother’ in Japanese. In fact, it is hard to separate the importance of age and hierarchy in the family in learning about family members. Ani (兄 / あに) is the word for ‘older brother’ while otouto (弟 / おとうと) means ‘younger brother’. The words for … Read more