When talking about your own aunt or a family member's aunt, you should use the word 伯母 (obā) or 叔母 (obā). These kanji distinguish between an elder sister of your parent (伯母) and a younger sister of your parent (叔母). However, when speaking to someone directly, it's more common to use おばさん (obāsan), which adds a polite suffix. You would also use おばさん to refer to an unfamiliar older woman as a general term of respect. For example, if you see an older woman in a shop, you might address her as おばさん. Using just おば can sometimes sound less polite, almost like 'auntie' in a more familiar, less formal way.
おば 30초 만에
- おば (oba) means 'aunt' in Japanese.
- It refers to your parent's sister or your uncle's wife.
- It's a common family term.
§ What does おば mean?
You're learning Japanese, and that's great! Today, we're looking at the word おば (oba). This is a pretty straightforward word, but it's good to know how and when to use it.
- DEFINITION
- Aunt.
That's it. Simple, right? But like many family terms in Japanese, there are nuances. Let's break it down.
§ Using おば in everyday conversation
You'll hear おば used just like "aunt" in English, referring to your mother's or father's sister, or your uncle's wife.
私のおばは料理が上手です。(Watashi no oba wa ryōri ga jōzu desu.)
This means: "My aunt is good at cooking." Pretty standard stuff. You can use it when talking about your own aunt or someone else's.
彼女のおばは医者です。(Kanojo no oba wa isha desu.)
This translates to: "Her aunt is a doctor." Again, very direct.
§ Where you actually hear this word — family, friends, and sometimes work
You'll mostly encounter おば in conversations about family. It's a common word, so you'll hear it often when people are discussing their relatives.
- At home: Naturally, you'll hear it a lot when family members are talking about an aunt.
- Among friends: Friends might ask about your おば or mention their own.
- In casual settings: Sometimes, a slightly older woman who is not a relative might be informally referred to as おばさん (obasan), which is a related term. This can be tricky, as it can sometimes be used endearingly, but also sometimes implies an older woman in a less flattering way. We're focusing on おば here, which is strictly about familial relationships.
昨日、おばの家に行きました。(Kinō, oba no ie ni ikimashita.)
Translation: "Yesterday, I went to my aunt's house." This is a common situation where you'd use おば.
彼のおばは先生です。(Kare no oba wa sensei desu.)
This means: "His aunt is a teacher." You'll hear this in conversations where friends are exchanging information about their families.
§ Key takeaway
The main thing to remember is that おば means "aunt." Use it when talking about your aunt or someone else's aunt in a general sense. When you're speaking to your aunt directly, or politely referring to someone else's aunt, adding the honorific さん (san) to make it おばさん is usually the safest and most polite option. Keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of these family terms quickly!
발음 가이드
- Pronouncing the 'o' too long, it's a short 'o' sound.
- Confusing it with おばあさん (obaasan), which means grandmother.
알아야 할 문법
Possessive particles: Use の (no) to show possession. For example, 私のおば (watashi no oba) means 'my aunt.'
これは私のおばです。 (Kore wa watashi no oba desu.) - This is my aunt.
Referring to family members: When referring to your own aunt, you use おば (oba). When referring to someone else's aunt, or when speaking respectfully, you use おばさん (obasan).
彼のおばさんは優しいです。 (Kare no obasan wa yasashii desu.) - His aunt is kind.
Polite requests: To politely ask about someone's aunt, you can use ～さん (san) after おば (oba) as a general honorific. For example, おばさんは元気ですか？ (Obasan wa genki desu ka?)
おばさんは元気ですか？ (Obasan wa genki desu ka?) - Is your aunt well?
Age and role: おば can also be used broadly to refer to an older woman in a way that suggests an 'aunt-like' figure, even if she's not a direct relative. This is similar to how 'auntie' might be used in English.
あのおばさんは親切です。 (Ano obasan wa shinsetsu desu.) - That older woman is kind.
Using with names: When addressing an aunt by her name, you can add ～おばさん (obasan) after her first name, for example, 〇〇おばさん (〇〇 obasan).
花子おばさんが来ました。 (Hanako obasan ga kimashita.) - Aunt Hanako came.
수준별 예문
おばが経営しているカフェはいつも賑わっています。
The cafe my aunt runs is always lively.
おばから届いた手紙には、懐かしい思い出がたくさん詰まっていました。
The letter from my aunt was filled with many nostalgic memories.
週末におばの家を訪れ、手作りの料理をご馳走になりました。
I visited my aunt's house on the weekend and was treated to homemade food.
おばは旅行が好きで、世界中の様々な場所を訪れています。
My aunt loves to travel and has visited many places around the world.
困った時、いつもおばに相談に乗ってもらっています。
When I'm in trouble, my aunt always gives me advice.
おばが教えてくれた秘伝のレシピで、美味しいケーキが焼けました。
I baked a delicious cake using the secret recipe my aunt taught me.
子供の頃、おばと一緒に公園で遊んだことが良い思い出です。
Playing in the park with my aunt when I was a child is a good memory.
おばの庭は色とりどりの花でいっぱいで、とても美しいです。
My aunt's garden is full of colorful flowers and is very beautiful.
おばはいつも私たちを暖かく迎えてくれます。
My aunt always welcomes us warmly.
子供の頃、おばの家で夏休みを過ごしました。
When I was a child, I spent my summer holidays at my aunt's house.
おばが作ってくれた料理は、どれも本当に美味しかったです。
All the dishes my aunt made for me were really delicious.
彼女は、私にとって実のおばのような存在です。
She is like a real aunt to me.
おばの結婚式に参列するため、遠くまで旅行しました。
I traveled a long way to attend my aunt's wedding.
最近、おばが新しい趣味を始めたと聞きました。
I heard recently that my aunt started a new hobby.
おばは、私にいつも的確なアドバイスをくれます。
My aunt always gives me precise advice.
家族みんなでおばの誕生日を祝う予定です。
We are planning to celebrate my aunt's birthday with the whole family.
문법 패턴
문장 패턴
これは私のおばです。
Kore wa watashi no oba desu. (This is my aunt.)
おばは優しいです。
Oba wa yasashii desu. (My aunt is kind.)
私のおばは東京に住んでいます。
Watashi no oba wa Tōkyō ni sunde imasu. (My aunt lives in Tokyo.)
おばは医者です。
Oba wa isha desu. (My aunt is a doctor.)
おばと買い物に行きました。
Oba to kaimono ni ikimashita. (I went shopping with my aunt.)
おばの家は大きいです。
Oba no ie wa ookii desu. (My aunt's house is big.)
おばは料理が上手です。
Oba wa ryōri ga jōzu desu. (My aunt is good at cooking.)
週末におばに会います。
Shūmatsu ni oba ni aimasu. (I will see my aunt on the weekend.)
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문The Japanese word for 'aunt' is おば (oba). It's a common noun you'll hear often.
おば (oba) is a general term for 'aunt'. It's not particularly formal or informal when referring to someone else's aunt or an aunt in general. However, when talking about your own aunt to others, you might use 伯母 (obasan - older aunt) or 叔母 (obasan - younger aunt), which adds a bit more politeness and specifies age.
Yes, おばさん (obasan) is also commonly used and is a more polite and common way to address or refer to an aunt. It can also be used to refer to any middle-aged woman respectfully, not just a relative.
おば (oba) is the basic, plain noun for 'aunt'. おばさん (obasan) adds the honorific '-san', making it more polite and generally more common in everyday speech. Think of 'oba' as 'aunt' and 'obasan' as 'Auntie' or 'Ms. Aunt'.
You can use it like this: わたしのおばはきれいです。(Watashi no oba wa kirei desu.) - My aunt is beautiful. Or: あなたのおばはどこにいますか。(Anata no oba wa doko ni imasu ka.) - Where is your aunt?
Usually, yes, おば (oba) refers to a blood relative, specifically your mother's or father's sister. However, as mentioned, おばさん (obasan) can be used more broadly for any middle-aged woman.
Yes, there are two common Kanji for 'oba' depending on whether she is older or younger than your parent: 伯母 (obasan) for an older aunt (older than your parent) and 叔母 (obasan) for a younger aunt (younger than your parent). However, you'll often see it written in Hiragana as おば.
おば (oba) is considered an A2 level vocabulary word in the CEFR framework. This means it's a basic word you'll learn early in your Japanese studies.
When speaking directly to your own aunt, you would most commonly use おばさん (obasan). This is a respectful and natural way to address her.
While 'おば' itself is a standalone noun, you'll hear it frequently with possessives like わたしのおば (watashi no oba - my aunt). The more polite form, おばさん (obasan), is often used in common phrases like おばさん、ありがとう (Obasan, arigatou.) - Thank you, Auntie.
셀프 테스트 36 질문
私には一人のおばさんがいます。 (I have one ___.)
The sentence is about having an aunt, and 'おばさん' means aunt.
彼女は私の___です。 (She is my ___.)
The sentence indicates a female relative, and 'おば' is a casual way to refer to an aunt.
おばさんはとても___です。 (My aunt is very ___.)
'やさしい' means kind, which is a common adjective to describe a person.
私は___おばさんに会いました。 (I met my ___ aunt.)
'げんきな' means energetic or healthy, which fits well before 'おばさんに会いました'.
私の___は料理が上手です。 (My ___ is good at cooking.)
'おばさん' refers to an aunt, and it's common for aunts to be good at cooking.
___は、私の母の姉です。 (___ is my mother's older sister.)
An aunt is typically the sister of one's parent, and 'おば' fits this description.
This sentence means 'My aunt is a doctor.'
This sentence means 'My aunt made a cake.'
This sentence means 'His aunt lives in Japan.'
Listen to the sentence about an aunt.
Listen to the sentence about where my aunt lives.
Listen to the sentence about going shopping with an aunt.
Read this aloud:
私のおばは料理が上手です。
Focus: おば (oba), 上手 (jouzu)
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
彼女のおばは医者です。
Focus: 彼女 (kanojo), 医者 (isha)
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
おばと旅行に行きたいです。
Focus: おば (oba), 旅行 (ryokou)
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'My aunt lives in Kyoto.' The order follows the typical Japanese sentence structure: topic (私の おば), particle (は), location (京都に), and verb (住んでいます).
This sentence means 'I went to the department store with my aunt.' 'おばと' means 'with my aunt,' '一緒に' means 'together,' 'デパートへ' means 'to the department store,' and '行きました' means 'went.'
This sentence means 'My aunt is very good at cooking.' 'おばは' sets the topic, '料理が' indicates what she's good at, and 'とても 得意です' means 'is very good at.'
Imagine your aunt is visiting from out of town. Write a short message (2-3 sentences) inviting her to dinner at your favorite restaurant. Make sure to include the restaurant name and time.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
おばさん、今週末に私の好きなレストランで一緒に晩ご飯を食べませんか？〇〇レストランに午後7時に予約しました。楽しみにしていてくださいね！(Aunt, would you like to have dinner with me at my favorite restaurant this weekend? I made a reservation at [Restaurant Name] at 7 PM. I'm looking forward to it!)
You are describing your aunt to a friend. Write 2-3 sentences about her personality or a hobby she enjoys. Use descriptive adjectives.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
私の叔母はとても優しくて、いつも笑顔です。彼女は絵を描くのが趣味で、素晴らしい作品をたくさん持っています。(My aunt is very kind and always smiling. Her hobby is painting, and she has many wonderful works.)
Your aunt gave you a gift. Write a short thank-you note (2-3 sentences) expressing your gratitude and mentioning what you like about the gift.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
おばさん、素敵なプレゼントを本当にありがとうございます！この本、ずっと読みたかったんです。大切にしますね。(Aunt, thank you so much for the wonderful present! I've always wanted to read this book. I'll cherish it.)
この人は先週末、誰の家に遊びに行きましたか？
Read this passage:
先週末、私はおばの家に遊びに行きました。彼女は料理がとても上手で、いつも美味しい手料理を振る舞ってくれます。今回も、特製のカレーライスを作ってくれました。一緒に昔のアルバムを見ながら、たくさんおしゃべりをしました。楽しい一日でした。(Last weekend, I visited my aunt's house. She's a great cook and always treats me to delicious homemade meals. This time, she made her special curry rice. We looked at old photo albums together and talked a lot. It was a fun day.)
この人は先週末、誰の家に遊びに行きましたか？
文章の冒頭に「私はおばの家に遊びに行きました」とあります。(At the beginning of the passage, it says 'I visited my aunt's house'.)
文章の冒頭に「私はおばの家に遊びに行きました」とあります。(At the beginning of the passage, it says 'I visited my aunt's house'.)
叔母は何に興味がありますか？
Read this passage:
私の叔母は、海外旅行が大好きです。毎年夏には、新しい国を訪れています。特にアジアの文化に興味があり、現地の言葉を少しずつ勉強しているそうです。彼女の話を聞くと、私も旅行に行きたくなります。(My aunt loves traveling abroad. Every summer, she visits a new country. She's especially interested in Asian culture and is apparently studying local languages little by little. When I hear her stories, I also want to travel.)
叔母は何に興味がありますか？
文章中に「海外旅行が大好きです」と明記されています。(It is clearly stated in the passage that 'she loves traveling abroad'.)
文章中に「海外旅行が大好きです」と明記されています。(It is clearly stated in the passage that 'she loves traveling abroad'.)
おばの新しい趣味は何ですか？
Read this passage:
先日、おばから手紙が届きました。彼女は最近、新しい趣味を見つけたそうです。それは陶芸で、自分で作ったお皿やカップの写真を送ってくれました。どれも個性豊かで、とても素敵な作品でした。私も今度、陶芸体験に挑戦してみようかなと思っています。(The other day, a letter arrived from my aunt. She recently found a new hobby, apparently. It's pottery, and she sent me photos of the plates and cups she made herself. All of them were full of individuality and very wonderful works. I'm thinking of trying pottery myself next time.)
おばの新しい趣味は何ですか？
「新しい趣味を見つけたそうです。それは陶芸で」と書かれています。(It says, 'She recently found a new hobby, apparently. It's pottery'.)
「新しい趣味を見つけたそうです。それは陶芸で」と書かれています。(It says, 'She recently found a new hobby, apparently. It's pottery'.)
彼女は私の___ですが、年の離れた姉のように慕っています。
文脈から、年上の親戚であり、姉のように慕われている人物が適切です。
先日、結婚した___から、新居に招待されました。
「おば」は一般的な「Aunt」を指し、この文脈では結婚した叔母/伯母どちらでも「おば」で表現できます。
遠方に住む___が、毎年お盆には必ず実家に帰省します。
「遠方に住む」という情報から、親戚が帰省する文脈で、「おば」が自然です。
幼い頃、___がよく手作りのクッキーを焼いてくれました。
幼い頃の思い出で、親戚がクッキーを焼いてくれたという状況で「おば」が適切です。
病気で寝込んでいる時、___が看病に来てくれて助かりました。
看病に来てくれる親しい親戚という文脈で「おば」が適切です。
彼女は私の___で、私にとっては人生の師でもあります。
親戚関係であり、人生の師でもあるという深い関係性を表すのに「おば」が適切です。
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
おば (oba) is the Japanese word for 'aunt', used to refer to a parent's sister or an uncle's wife.
- おば (oba) means 'aunt' in Japanese.
- It refers to your parent's sister or your uncle's wife.
- It's a common family term.
예시
私のおばはとても優しい人です。
관련 콘텐츠
관련 문법 규칙
family 관련 단어
還暦
B160th birthday (celebration of completing a 60-year cycle).
〜くらい
B1About; approximately; to the extent that.
認め合う
B1To recognize each other's worth; to acknowledge.
知人
B1Acquaintance.
顔見知り
A2Acquaintance; someone you know by sight.
甘える
B1To be spoiled, to fawn; to behave like a pampered child.
活発な
B1Active; lively; vigorous.
思春期
B1Adolescence; the period of transition from childhood to adulthood.
養子
B1Adopted child; a child taken into one's family by legal means.
養親
B2Adoptive parent.
