Japanese Family Vocabulary Reading Practice: In-Group vs Out-Group Terms

The Big Challenge: Two Sets of Family Words

Japanese has two completely different sets of family vocabulary: one for referring to your own family (humble) and one for referring to someone else’s family (polite/honorific). This confuses many learners. This article builds your reading fluency with both sets in real contexts.

The Two Sets at a Glance

Reading Text 1: Talking About Your Own Family

わたしの かぞくは よにんです。ちちと はは、あに、そして わたしです。ちちは いしゃです。ははは きょうしです。あには だいがくせいで、とうきょうに すんでいます。

(My family has four people. My father, mother, older brother, and me. My father is a doctor. My mother is a teacher. My older brother is a university student and lives in Tokyo.)

Reading Text 2: Asking About Someone Else’s Family

A： おとうさんは おしごとは なんですか。
(Otou-san wa oshigoto wa nan desu ka.) — What does your father do for work?

B： わたしの ちちは こうむいんです。
(Watashi no chichi wa koumuin desu.) — My father is a civil servant.

A： おにいさんは いらっしゃいますか。
(Onii-san wa irasshaimasu ka.) — Do you have an older brother?

B： はい、あにが ひとりいます。
(Hai, ani ga hitori imasu.) — Yes, I have one older brother.

The Rule in Plain English

• When talking about your own family to others → use the humble form (ちち, はは, あに…)
• When talking to or about someone else’s family → use the honorific form (おとうさん, おかあさん, おにいさん…)
• When calling your own parents directly → use おとうさん / おかあさん (it’s still polite to call them directly with honorifics in most families)

Comprehension Exercise

1. How many people are in the speaker’s family in Text 1?
2. What does the speaker’s mother do?
3. In Text 2, which word does B use for “my father” — ちち or おとうさん?

Answers: 1. Four / 2. Teacher (きょうし) / 3. ちち — because B is talking about their own father to someone else (humble form).

Yuka & Rei Untangle Family Terms

Reading and listening get better when you also reflect and discuss. Here is how Yuka and Rei unpack the key ideas from this topic — notice the questions Yuka asks, because they’re probably the same ones you had.

Yuka

Rei, I read the family text but I’m so confused — why are there two words for everything? Like ちち and おとうさん for father?

Rei

Japanese has in-group and out-group vocabulary for family. ちち = my father (humble, when talking about him to others). おとうさん = your father / a father figure (respectful, when talking to or about someone else’s). Never call your own father おとうさん to an outsider — use ちち.

Yuka

And はは vs おかあさん?

Rei

Same pattern! はは = my mother (in-group). おかあさん = someone else’s mother (out-group, respectful). The rule: humble/plain forms for YOUR family when speaking to outsiders. Respectful forms for THEIR family. In reading, the context (who is speaking to whom) tells you which word is appropriate.

5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud

These sentences use core vocabulary from this article. Read each one aloud at least three times to lock in the sound pattern.

1. ちちはかいしゃいんです。（自分の父について）
   My father is a company employee. (talking about your own father)
2. おとうさんはおげんきですか？（相手の父について）
   Is your father well? (asking about their father)
3. わたしにはあにがひとりいます。
   I have one older brother.
4. いもうとはまだがくせいです。
   My younger sister is still a student.
5. かぞくでりょこうするのがすきです。
   I like travelling with my family.

Your Turn! Leave Your Answer in the Comments

Reading and listening improve fastest when you also produce. Try writing 2–3 sentences summarising what you read, or create your own short text on the same topic using vocabulary from this article.

Post it in the comments — other learners will read it and it helps everyone. Log in to save your comment history and join the Top Commenters ranking in the sidebar!

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