Japanese Lesson 15 – Family Members · N5

📋 Expression Reference — Family Members

Key phrases across formality levels. Press ▶ to hear any expression.

FORMAL — けいご (KEIGO)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
ごかぞくはなんにんですか？	Go-kazoku wa nannin desu ka?	ごにんかぞくでございます Gonin kazoku de gozaimasu	Asking family size (keigo)
ごりょうしんはおげんきですか？	Go-ryoushin wa ogenki desu ka?	はい、おかげさまで Hai, okagesamade	Asking after parents
おにいさんはおしごとをしていますか？	Oniisan wa oshigoto wo shite imasu ka?	はい、かいしゃいんです Hai, kaishain desu	Asking about sibling's job

STANDARD — ていねい (TEINEI)

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
かぞくはなんにんですか？	Kazoku wa nannin desu ka?	よにんかぞくです Yonin kazoku desu	Family size
きょうだいはいますか？	Kyoudai wa imasu ka?	はい、あねがひとりいます Hai, ane ga hitori imasu	Asking about siblings
おかあさんはなにをしていますか？	Okaasan wa nani wo shite imasu ka?	はははせんせいです Haha wa sensei desu	Parent's occupation (note: そと/うち switch)
いもうとさんはおいくつですか？	Imoutosan wa oikutsu desu ka?	じゅうさんさいです Juusan-sai desu	Sibling's age

CASUAL — カジュアル

Expression	Romaji	Typical Response	Context
かぞくなんにん？	Kazoku nannin?	ごにんだよ Gonin da yo	Family size
きょうだいいる？	Kyoudai iru?	うん、あにがいるよ Un, ani ga iru yo	Siblings
おかあさんなにしてるの？	Okaasan nani shiteru no?	かんごしだよ Kangoshi da yo	Parent's job

🗣 Mini Dialogues

Three scenes at different formality levels. Press ▶ to hear each line.

A — FORMAL · Job Interview

めんせつかん

ごかぞくはなんにんですか？

Go-kazoku wa nannin desu ka?

How many people are in your family?

さとう

ごにんかぞくです。ちちとははとあにといもうとがいます。

Gonin kazoku desu. Chichi to haha to ani to imouto ga imasu.

Five in my family. I have my father, mother, older brother, and younger sister.

[NUMBER] にんかぞくです

[NUMBER] nin kazoku desu

[number] person-family is

→ "We're a family of [NUMBER]."

めんせつかん

そうですか。おにいさんはおしごとをしていますか？

Sou desu ka. Oniisan wa oshigoto wo shite imasu ka?

I see. Does your older brother work?

B — STANDARD · Colleagues at Lunch

みき

ケビンさん、きょうだいはいますか？

Kevin-san, kyoudai wa imasu ka?

Kevin, do you have any siblings?

ケビン

はい、あねがふたりいます。ふたりともアメリカにすんでいます。

Hai, ane ga futari imasu. Futari tomo Amerika ni sunde imasu.

Yes, I have two older sisters. They both live in America.

[FAMILY] が [NUMBER] います

[FAMILY] ga [NUMBER] imasu

[member] [subject] [number] exist

→ "I have [NUMBER] [FAMILY MEMBER](s)."

みき

いいですね。わたしはひとりっこです。きょうだいがほしかったです。

Ii desu ne. Watashi wa hitorikko desu. Kyoudai ga hoshikatta desu.

Nice. I'm an only child. I wished I had siblings.

C — CASUAL · Looking at Photos

ゆうと

このしゃしん、だれ？おかあさん？

Kono shashin, dare? Okaasan?

This photo, who's that? Your mom?

はな

ちがうよ、あねだよ。にじゅうごさいなの。

Chigau yo, ane da yo. Nijuugo-sai na no.

No, that's my sister. She's 25.

[FAMILY] だよ。 [NUMBER] さいなの。

[FAMILY] da yo. [NUMBER] -sai na no.

[member] is [assertion]. [number] years-old [explanation].

→ "That's my [FAMILY MEMBER]. They're [NUMBER]."

ゆうと

えー、わかいね！おとうさんとおかあさんは？

Ee, wakai ne! Otousan to okaasan wa?

Wow, she looks young! What about your dad and mom?

[PERSON] と [PERSON] は？

[PERSON] to [PERSON] wa?

[person] and [person] [topic]?

→ "What about [PERSON] and [PERSON]?"

📋 Key Patterns & Cheatsheet ▼

Counting family members

FORMAL

ごにんかぞくでございます

Gonin kazoku de gozaimasu

→ "We are a family of five." (keigo)

STANDARD

よにんかぞくです

Yonin kazoku desu

→ "We're a family of four."

CASUAL

ごにんだよ

Gonin da yo

→ "Five (in my family)."

Saying you have a sibling

STANDARD

あねがふたりいます

Ane ga futari imasu

→ "I have two older sisters."

CASUAL

あに、いるよ

Ani, iru yo

→ "I have an older brother."

うち vs そと — family term pairs

🏠 MY family — うち

ちち・はは・あに・あね・おとうと・いもうと

chichi · haha · ani · ane · otouto · imouto

father · mother · older brother · older sister · younger brother · younger sister

Use humble terms when talking about YOUR family to others.

🏢 THEIR family — そと

おとうさん・おかあさん・おにいさん・おねえさん・おとうとさん・いもうとさん

otousan · okaasan · oniisan · oneesan · otoutosan · imoutosan

father · mother · older brother · older sister · younger brother · younger sister

Use respectful terms when talking about SOMEONE ELSE's family.

Asking about family members' occupations

STANDARD

[PERSON] はなにをしていますか？

[PERSON] wa nani wo shite imasu ka?

→ "What does [PERSON] do?" — e.g. おとうさんはなにをしていますか？

CASUAL

[PERSON] なにしてるの？

[PERSON] nani shiteru no?

→ "What does [PERSON] do?" — e.g. おかあさん、なにしてるの？

A — Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.

tap to flip

1 / 10

B — Listen & Choose the Meaning

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.

C — Choose the Right Response

Listen to the question, then choose the most natural reply.

D — Listen & Write in Romaji

Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji. Japanese letters are not needed.

💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

E — Shadowing Practice

Press ▶ to hear each line, say it aloud, then mark it as practised.

0 of 9 lines practised

📖 Grammar Notes ▼

うち/そと Family Terms

Japanese has two sets of family words. Use humble (うち) terms for YOUR family when speaking to others: ちち、はは、あに、あね、おとうと、いもうと. Use respectful (そと) terms for SOMEONE ELSE's family: おとうさん、おかあさん、おにいさん、おねえさん、おとうとさん、いもうとさん.

ちち (my father) ↔ おとうさん (your/their father)

chichi (humble) ↔ otousan (respectful)

→ Humble for your own, respectful for someone else's

ちちはせんせいです。おとうさんもせんせいですか？

Chichi wa sensei desu. Otousan mo sensei desu ka?

My father is a teacher. Is your father a teacher too?

～にんかぞくです (Counting Family Members)

State family size with [number] + にんかぞく + です. Special readings: ひとり (1 person), ふたり (2 people), then さんにん (3), よにん (4), ごにん (5).

[NUMBER] にんかぞくです

[number] nin kazoku desu

→ "I'm in a family of [number]."

わたしはよにんかぞくです。

Watashi wa yonin kazoku desu.

I'm in a family of four.

～がいます (Animate Existence)

Use います for people and animals. Use あります for objects. "I have [family member]" = [family] がいます. Add a number before います for count.

[FAMILY] が [NUMBER] います

[family] ga [number] imasu

→ "I have [number] [family member](s)."

あねがふたりいます。

Ane ga futari imasu.

I have two older sisters.

～は～さいです (Stating Ages)

[Person] は [number] さいです. Special readings: いっさい (1), はたち (20). Ask politely: おいくつですか？ Standard: なんさいですか？

[PERSON] は [NUMBER] さいです

[person] wa [number] sai desu

→ "[Person] is [number] years old."

いもうとはじゅうさんさいです。

Imouto wa juusan-sai desu.

My younger sister is 13.

～をしています (Occupations)

Describe someone's job with [person] は [job] をしています, or simply [person] は [job] です. Common jobs: かいしゃいん (office worker), せんせい (teacher), いしゃ (doctor), かんごし (nurse).

[PERSON] は [JOB] をしています

[person] wa [job] wo shite imasu

→ "[Person] works as a [job]."

ちちはいしゃをしています。

Chichi wa isha wo shite imasu.

My father works as a doctor.

～にすんでいます (Where Someone Lives)

[Person] は [place] にすんでいます. The particle に marks the location of residence.

[PERSON] は [PLACE] にすんでいます

[person] wa [place] ni sunde imasu

→ "[Person] lives in [place]."

あにはおおさかにすんでいます。

Ani wa Oosaka ni sunde imasu.

My older brother lives in Osaka.

📚 Key Vocabulary ▼

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
かぞく	kazoku	family
りょうしん	ryoushin	parents
ちち	chichi	(my) father
はは	haha	(my) mother
あに	ani	(my) older brother
あね	ane	(my) older sister
おとうと	otouto	(my) younger brother
いもうと	imouto	(my) younger sister
そふ	sofu	(my) grandfather
そぼ	sobo	(my) grandmother
きょうだい	kyoudai	siblings
こども	kodomo	child / children
ひとりっこ	hitorikko	only child
おっと / つま	otto / tsuma	husband / wife (humble)