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N5 Vocabulary: Family — 21 words with memory tricks

· Memoro

The family topic is one of the friendliest N5 sets — but beginners keep mixing up "my father" with "someone else's father". This lesson gathers the essential words, each with a memory hook, plus a few rules to lock in the whole set in one sitting.

01
兄
あに
ani
(my) older brother (humble)
💡 口 (mouth) over 儿 (walking legs) → the one who speaks up / gives orders = older brother.
私の兄は大学生です。My older brother is a university student.
02
姉
あね
ane
(my) older sister (humble)
💡 Pairs with 兄: ani / ane differ only by i ↔ e (brother / sister).
私の姉は先生です。My older sister is a teacher.
03
妹
いもうと
imōto
younger sister (humble)
💡 女 (woman) + 未 (not yet) → a girl not yet grown = younger sister.
私の妹は高校生です。My younger sister is a high school student.
04
お母さん
おかあさん
okāsan
mother (formal)
💡 = お + 母 + さん. "okāsan" — stretch it out like calling "Mom!".
おかあさんはお元気ですか？How is your mother?
05
奥さん
おくさん
okusan
(someone else's) wife (hon.)
💡 奥 = "deep inside the house" → the woman who runs the home = (someone else's) wife.
奥さんはお元気ですか？How is your wife?
06
伯父; 叔父さん
おじ; おじさん
oji; ojisan
uncle, middle-aged man
💡 Uncle. The short "oji" = uncle — don't confuse with "ojii" (grandpa).
私のおじさんは医者です。My uncle is a doctor.
07
おじいさん
おじいさん
ojiisan
grandfather, male senior citizen
💡 Long "ojii" = one generation older = grandpa. Compare おじさん (uncle), which is shorter.
私のおじいさんは八十歳です。My grandfather is eighty years old.
08
お父さん
おとうさん
otōsan
father (formal)
💡 = お + 父 + さん (polite). Use it to address your own dad, or for someone else's father.
おとうさんはお元気ですか？How is your father?
09
弟
おとうと
otōto
younger brother
💡 The younger one gets the longer name: ani (older bro) is short, otōto (younger bro) is long.
おとうとが一人います。I have one younger brother.
10
お兄さん
おにいさん
oniisan
(someone else's) older brother (formal)
💡 = お + 兄 + さん. Older brother (polite / someone else's).
おにいさんは学生ですか？Is your older brother a student?
11
お姉さん
おねえさん
oneesan
older sister (formal)
💡 = お + 姉 + さん. Older sister (polite / someone else's).
おねえさんは綺麗ですね。Your older sister is beautiful, isn't she?
12
伯母さん; 叔母さん
おばさん; おばさん
obasan; obasan
aunt
💡 Aunt. The short "oba" = aunt — don't confuse with "obaa" (grandma).
私のおばさんは先生です。My aunt is a teacher.
13
おばあさん
おばあさん
obaasan
grandmother, female senior-citizen
💡 Long "obaa" = grandma. Compare おばさん (aunt), which is shorter.
私のおばあさんは元気です。My grandmother is well.
14
家族
かぞく
kazoku
family, members of a family
💡 家 (house — the 宀 on top is a roof) + 族 (clan) → the people under one roof.
家族は四人です。There are four people in my family.
15
兄弟
きょうだい
kyoudai
siblings (humble), brothers and sisters
💡 兄 (older bro) + 弟 (younger bro) → siblings in general.
兄弟は何人ですか？How many siblings do you have?
16
結婚
けっこん
kekkon
marriage (get married)
💡 結 (to tie/bind) + 婚 (marriage) → tying two people together. "kekkon".
来月結婚します。I will get married next month.
17
子供
こども
kodomo
child(ren)
💡 子 = child (a tiny figure of a baby). "kodomo" = kid(s).
子供が好きです。I like children.
18
父
ちち
chichi
(my) father
💡 Read "chi-chi", like a baby babbling for dad. The shape 父 looks like two arms reaching out to hug.
私の父は会社員です。My father is a company employee.
19
友達
ともだち
tomodachi
friend
💡 友 = friend (two hands helping each other). "tomodachi" = friend.
友達と遊びます。I play with my friends.
20
母
はは
haha
(my) mother
💡 The two dots inside 母 picture a mother's breasts — the one who feeds the child.
私の母は元気です。My mother is well.
21
両親
りょうしん
ryōshin
parents (lit., both parents)
💡 両 (both) + 親 (parent) → literally "both parents".
両親は元気です。My parents are well.

Memory tricks

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