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N5

Family Words and Talking About People

About 8 minutes · written and reviewed by Haruki Yamamoto

Section 1 of 3

Core family words

Basic family words appear very often in beginner conversation. Learn the plain word and the type of person it refers to, then combine it with simple jobs and descriptions.

  1. Target signal

    わたしの父は医者です。

    My father is a doctor.

    父 is the plain term used for your own father in a neutral statement.

    Vocabulary notes
    わたし
    I; me
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    医者いしゃ
    doctor

  2. Compare in context

    母は料理が上手です。

    My mother is good at cooking.

    料理が上手です describes a person’s skill.

    Vocabulary notes
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    上手じょうず
    skillful; good at
    料理りょうり
    cooking; dish; cuisine

  3. Compare in context

    兄は大学生です。

    My older brother is a university student.

    Family words combine very naturally with school and job nouns.

    Vocabulary notes
    大学生だいがくせい
    university student
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    大学だいがく
    university; college

Section 2 of 3

Your family and someone else’s family

Japanese often uses plain family words for your own family and respectful words such as お父さん or お母さん for someone else’s family. This difference appears early and matters a lot in polite conversation.

  1. Target signal

    田中さんのお母さんは元気ですか。

    Is Tanaka’s mother well?

    お母さん is respectful when you talk about another person’s mother.

    Vocabulary notes
    お母さんおかあさん
    someone else's mother; mother (polite)
    田中さんたなかさん
    Tanaka
    さん
    Mr.; Ms.; polite name suffix

  2. Preview

    山田さんのお父さんは会社員です。

    Yamada’s father is an office worker.

    お父さん is the respectful choice for another person’s father.

    Vocabulary notes
    お父さんおとうさん
    someone else's father; father (polite)
    山田さんやまださん
    Mr. or Ms. Yamada
    会社員かいしゃいん
    company employee; office worker

  3. Preview

    弟は高校生です。

    My younger brother is a high school student.

    弟 is the plain term for your own younger brother.

    Vocabulary notes
    高校生こうこうせい
    high school student
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    で
    at; in; by; with

Section 3 of 3

Talking about people with simple descriptions

Family words often appear with jobs, school levels, personality words, and simple locations. Once you know the family term, the rest of the sentence usually looks familiar.

  1. Target signal

    姉はとても親切です。

    My older sister is very kind.

    親切です is a common way to describe personality.

    Vocabulary notes
    とても
    very
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    親切しんせつ
    kind; kindness

  2. Preview

    妹は中学生です。

    My younger sister is a middle school student.

    School-level words fit naturally after family words.

    Vocabulary notes
    中学生ちゅうがくせい
    middle school student
    です
    to be (polite); is; am; are
    学生がくせい
    student

  3. Preview

    祖母はうちにいます。

    My grandmother is at home.

    You can also describe where a family member is.

    Vocabulary notes
    うちに〜うちに
    while still; before it changes
    います
    there is; exists (animate)
    いま
    now

Reading in context

Read for meaning before checking the answer

Before you read

Read once for the situation. Then notice how Family Words and Talking About People changes the meaning before you check the translation.

わたしの父は医者です。 母は料理が上手です。 兄は大学生です。 田中さんのお母さんは元気ですか。 山田さんのお父さんは会社員です。 弟は高校生です。 姉はとても

Show English translation

My father is a doctor. My mother is good at cooking. My older brother is a university student. Is Tanaka’s mother well? Yamada’s father is an office worker. My younger brother is a high school student. My older sister is very kind. My younger sister is a middle school student. My grandmother is at home.

Contextual questions

Answer from the passage before you reveal each explanation.

  1. What is the first reading job for this passage?

    • Identify the situation and how Family Words and Talking About People changes it.
    • Translate every word before using context.
    • Ignore the ending because only vocabulary matters.
    • Choose an answer before reading the full passage.
    Check the answer

    Identify the situation and how Family Words and Talking About People changes it.

    The goal is to use the situation first, then confirm the role of Family Words and Talking About People in context.

Guided practice

Apply the lesson in a few different ways

Work through each prompt, then check the explanation before moving on.

Activity 1 of 4Choose the best context

Choose the best Japanese for 'my mother.'

Activity 2 of 4Fill the blank

Complete the chunk that carries the lesson meaning (Family Words and Talking About People).

＿＿＿の父は医者です。

Activity 3 of 4Put it in order

Put these related examples back into the order used in the lesson.

  1. 1母は料理が上手です。
  2. 2兄は大学生です。
  3. 3わたしの父は医者です。
Activity 4 of 4Infer from the passage

What should guide your interpretation of Family Words and Talking About People in the mini-reading?

Mastery check 1/4

Choose the best Japanese for 'my mother.'