When talking about someone's father, or your own father when speaking to others, you use the word おとうさん (otousan).
It's a polite way to say "father" and shows respect. You can also use it to address your own father directly, like calling out "Dad!"
While there are other words for father in Japanese, おとうさん is a very common and safe choice in most everyday situations.
When talking about someone's father, or your own father in a polite way, you can use お父さん (otousan). This is a common and respectful way to refer to a father.
If you're talking about your own father to others, especially in a more casual setting, you might use 父 (chichi). When talking about someone else's father, or very formally about any father, you would typically use お父様 (otousama).
When talking about someone else's father or generally referring to the concept of "father," you use お父さん (otōsan). This is the polite and common term.
You can also use it to directly address your own father, especially if you want to be more polite or respectful, though many people use the less formal お父さん (otōsan).
For example, if you're talking to a friend and asking about their father, you'd say: 「お父さんはお元気ですか？」 (Otōsan wa ogenki desu ka?) meaning "How is your father?"
§ Understanding おとうさん (Otousan)
Let's talk about おとうさん (otousan). It means 'father' in Japanese. It's a common word you'll use a lot. Remember, Japanese has different ways to say things depending on who you're talking about and who you're talking to. おとうさん is generally for someone else's father, or for your own father when you are speaking politely.
- DEFINITION
- Father.
§ Basic Sentence Structure with おとうさん
You can use おとうさん like any other noun in a sentence. Let's look at some basic structures.
これはおとうさんのカメラです。
This is father's camera.
Here, の (no) shows possession, just like an apostrophe 's' in English.
おとうさんはパンを食べます。
Father eats bread.
In this example, は (wa) marks おとうさん as the topic of the sentence, and を (o) marks パン (pan - bread) as the direct object.
§ Using with particles
Particles are key in Japanese. They tell you the role of a word in a sentence. Here are some common particles you'll use with おとうさん:
は (wa): Topic Marker
We already saw this. It identifies the topic of the sentence.おとうさんはしんぶんをよんでいます。
Father is reading the newspaper.が (ga): Subject Marker
が specifies the subject, often when it's being introduced or emphasized.どちらがおとうさんですか？
Which one is your father?に (ni): To/At (location/direction/recipient)
This particle has many uses. When used with a person, it often indicates the recipient of an action.おとうさんにお土産をあげました。
I gave a souvenir to my father.と (to): With/And
Use と to mean 'with' someone, or to list items (similar to 'and').おとうさんと映画を見ました。
I watched a movie with my father.から (kara): From
Indicates origin or source.おとうさんから手紙が来ました。
A letter came from father.
§ When to use おとうさん versus ちち (chichi)
This is important. While both mean 'father', you use them in different situations:
おとうさん (otousan): Use this when you are talking to someone else's father, or when you are talking about someone else's father. You can also use it to refer to your own father in a polite context, especially when speaking directly to him or when talking about him to people outside your family.
A: あなたのおとうさんはどこですか？
A: Where is your father?ちち (chichi): Use this when you are talking about your own father to someone outside your family, in a humble way. You generally would not address your father directly as ちち.
B: ちちはかいしゃにいっています。
B: My father is at the office.
§ Understanding おとうさん (Otousan)
The word おとうさん (otousan) is the Japanese word for "father." It's a common and important term to know. While it directly translates to father, its usage can be a bit more nuanced than the English equivalent, especially when talking about your own father versus someone else's, or when using it as a direct address.
- DEFINITION
- Father.
Let's look at some practical situations where you'll hear and use おとうさん.
§ At Home and with Friends
In everyday conversations, especially among family and friends, おとうさん is frequently used. You'll hear children calling their fathers this, and adults referring to their fathers this way when speaking to others.
- When talking to your own father:
おとうさん、おはよう！
Translation hint: Good morning, Dad!
- When talking about someone else's father:
田中さんのおとうさんは元気ですか？
Translation hint: Is Tanaka-san's father well?
§ In School or Work Settings
Even in more formal environments like school or work, おとうさん can appear, particularly in discussions about family life or personal backgrounds. For instance, a teacher might ask about a student's parents, or colleagues might casually discuss their families.
- A teacher asking a student:
おとうさんにお手紙を渡しましたか？
Translation hint: Did you give the letter to your father?
- In a casual conversation among colleagues:
うちのおとうさんはゴルフが好きです。
Translation hint: My father likes golf.
§ In Media: News, TV Shows, and Books
You'll also frequently encounter おとうさん in various forms of Japanese media. From news reports discussing family matters to characters in TV dramas and novels, it's a staple word.
- In a TV show, a child might say:
おとうさんと遊びたい！
Translation hint: I want to play with Dad!
- In a news report about a family event:
災害でおとうさんを亡くした子どもたち。
Translation hint: Children who lost their father in the disaster.
Pronunciation Guide
- Pronouncing the 'o' at the beginning too strongly, it's a soft 'o' sound.
- Not extending the 'o' sound in 'tou' long enough, it's a long vowel.
- Confusing 'san' with the English word 'sun'; it's a softer 'sahn' sound.
Examples by Level
おとうさんはやさしいです。
My father is kind.
おとうさんはわかいですか。
Is your father young?
わたしのおとうさんはたかいです。
My father is tall.
おとうさんはげんきです。
My father is healthy/energetic.
おとうさんはおもしろいですか。
Is your father interesting/funny?
かれのおとうさんはせんせいです。
His father is a teacher.
おとうさんはしごとをします。
Father works.
おとうさんはごはんをたべます。
Father eats a meal.
お父さんは料理が上手です。
My father is good at cooking.
私のお父さんは背が高いです。
My father is tall.
お父さんと公園に行きました。
I went to the park with my father.
お父さんは毎日仕事を頑張ります。
My father works hard every day.
お父さんはいつも優しいです。
My father is always kind.
お父さんはテレビを見ています。
My father is watching TV.
お父さんは本を読むのが好きです。
My father likes to read books.
お父さんは朝早く起きます。
My father wakes up early in the morning.
お父さんは料理がとても上手です。
My father is very good at cooking.
週末にお父さんと一緒に映画を見に行きました。
I went to see a movie with my father on the weekend.
お父さんは毎日、会社まで自転車で通勤しています。
My father commutes to work by bicycle every day.
子供の頃、お父さんがよく絵本を読んでくれました。
When I was a child, my father often read picture books to me.
お父さんの趣味は釣りです。
My father's hobby is fishing.
お父さんに新しいセーターをプレゼントしました。
I gave my father a new sweater as a present.
お父さんはいつも家族のために一生懸命働いています。
My father always works hard for our family.
お父さんと意見が違うこともありますが、尊敬しています。
Although I sometimes have different opinions from my father, I respect him.
うちのお父さんは料理がとても上手です。
My father is very good at cooking.
彼のお父さんは医者だと聞きました。
I heard his father is a doctor.
お父さんに新しいネクタイをプレゼントしました。
I gave my father a new tie as a present.
お父さんと一緒に旅行に行く計画を立てています。
I am planning a trip with my father.
小さい頃、お父さんがよく絵本を読んでくれました。
When I was little, my father often read picture books to me.
お父さんの趣味は釣りです。
My father's hobby is fishing.
仕事から帰ってきたお父さんに「おかえり」と言いました。
I said 'welcome home' to my father when he came back from work.
お父さんのアドバイスはいつも的確です。
My father's advice is always accurate.
How to Use It
お父さん (Otousan) is the most common and polite way to refer to someone's father, or your own father when speaking to others. When directly addressing your own father, you might use お父さん (Otousan) or パパ (Papa), especially if you're younger. If you're talking about someone else's father, お父さん (Otousan) is appropriate. It can also be used to respectfully refer to an elderly man, even if he's not your father.
A common mistake is using 父 (chichi) when talking to others about their father or a third person's father. 父 (chichi) is generally used to refer to your own father when speaking to others in a humble way, or in more formal contexts. For example, you would say 「私の父は医者です。」 (Watashi no chichi wa isha desu.) to mean 'My father is a doctor.' but you wouldn't typically say 「彼の父は…」 (Kare no chichi wa…) when talking about someone else's father. Instead, you'd use 「彼のお父さんは…」 (Kare no otousan wa…).
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsThe most common way to say 'father' in Japanese is おとうさん (otousan).
You use おとうさん (otousan) when talking about someone else's father, or when respectfully referring to your own father. It carries a sense of politeness.
Yes, when talking about your own father to others in a more casual context, you can use ちち (chichi). For example, 私の父です (watashi no chichi desu) means 'He is my father.'
おとうさん (otousan) is a respectful term, used when addressing or referring to someone else's father, or your own father respectfully. ちち (chichi) is a humble term used when referring to your own father to outsiders.
Yes, you can directly address your own father as おとうさん (otousan). It's a very common and natural way to call him.
While おとうさん (otousan) and ちち (chichi) are the main ones, you might also hear パパ (papa), especially from younger children, which is a more informal, Western-style term.
In hiragana, it's おとうさん. In kanji, it's often written as お父さん.
CEFR A2 means おとうさん (otousan) is a basic and frequently used word that a learner at the A2 level of Japanese proficiency should know and understand.
You can ask 'Is this your father?' by saying この方 (かた) は お父さん ですか？ (Kono kata wa otousan desu ka?), meaning 'Is this person your father?'
Here's an example: 私 (わたし) の お父さん は 親切 (しんせつ) です。 (Watashi no otousan wa shinsetsu desu.) Hint: 'My father is kind.'
Test Yourself 48 questions
Listen for 'father' and 'cooks'.
Listen for 'my father' and 'kind'.
Listen for 'talk' and 'father'.
Read this aloud:
お父さん、おはよう！
Focus: おとうさん (otousan)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
私のお父さんです。
Focus: おとうさん (otousan)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
お父さんはどこですか？
Focus: お父さん (otousan)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'My father is kind.' The particles 'の' and 'は' connect the words correctly.
This sentence means 'There are father and mother.' 'と' connects the two nouns, and 'がいます' means 'there are'.
This sentence means 'Father reads the newspaper.' 'は' marks the topic, 'を' marks the direct object, and '読みます' is the verb 'to read'.
Choose the correct polite form for 'father.'
While 'おとうさん' (otousan) is a common way to say 'father,' the kanji 'お父さん' (otousan) is the standard polite written form. 'ちち' (chichi) refers to one's own father when speaking to others, and 'パパ' (papa) is a more casual term.
Which of the following would you use when talking about someone else's father?
When referring to someone else's father, 'お父様' (otousama) is a very polite and respectful term. 'おとうさん' (otousan) is generally for your own father or another's father in a less formal context. 'ちち' (chichi) is used for your own father when speaking to others, and 'パパ' (papa) is casual.
Which sentence correctly uses 'おとうさん'?
'お父さん' is appropriate when asking about someone else's father in a generally polite way. 'ちち' is for your own father, 'パパ' is casual. 'お父様' is very formal, and while grammatically correct, 'お父さん' is more common in this specific context for B1 level.
You should use 'ちち' when talking to your own father directly.
False. You typically use 'おとうさん' when speaking directly to your own father. 'ちち' is used when referring to your own father when speaking to others.
'おとうさん' can be used to refer to someone else's father in a polite way.
True. 'おとうさん' can indeed be used to refer to someone else's father politely, especially in common conversation. For higher formality, 'お父様' would be used.
The kanji for 'おとうさん' is always '父さん'.
False. The kanji for 'おとうさん' is typically 'お父さん'. '父さん' is also used but less common and can be perceived as slightly less polite on its own without the 'お'.
This sentence means 'My father is a company employee.' The particles 'の' and 'は' indicate possession and the topic of the sentence respectively. 'です' is the copula.
This sentence means 'Father reads the newspaper every day.' 'は' marks the topic, '毎日' means 'every day', 'を' marks the direct object, and '読みます' is the verb 'to read'.
This sentence means 'His father is a very kind person.' '彼' means 'he/him', 'の' indicates possession, 'は' marks the topic, 'とても' means 'very', '優しい' means 'kind', and '人' means 'person'.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 彼の成功は、幼い頃から厳しくも愛情深く彼を育てた＿＿＿に帰する。
The sentence speaks of someone who raised him strictly but lovingly from an early age, which refers to a father. The other options (grandmother, grandfather, older brother) don't fit the context as well.
Which of the following sentences correctly uses "おとうさん" in a formal context?
While all options use 'おとうさん' correctly in terms of meaning, only '田中さんのおとうさんは、いつも丁寧な言葉遣いをされます。' uses it in a formal and respectful way appropriate for C1 level, showing politeness towards someone else's father.
Select the sentence where "おとうさん" is used metaphorically or in an extended meaning.
This sentence uses 'おとうさん' metaphorically to describe someone's strict attitude towards work, comparing it to that of a stern father, rather than referring to an actual father.
In a very casual conversation among close friends, it is common to refer to one's own father as "おとうさん" without any honorifics.
Even in casual conversation, "おとうさん" itself is an honorific form. While close friends might use more informal terms for their own father (like 'パパ' or even just '父さん'), simply dropping honorifics from 'おとうさん' isn't the typical casual usage. "父" (chichi) is the plain form for one's own father, but "おとうさん" already includes an honorific.
The term "おとうさん" can sometimes be used to address an older man who is not one's biological father, but holds a paternal role or is significantly older and respected.
Yes, this is a common cultural practice in Japan. "おとうさん" can be used respectfully to address an older man, particularly if they are in a position of authority, a close family friend, or a mentor, implying a paternal relationship even if not biological.
When referring to another person's father, it is always appropriate to use "お父様" (otō-sama) as a highly respectful term, regardless of the social context.
While "お父様" is a very respectful term for another person's father, it's not always appropriate regardless of context. Its usage depends heavily on the formality of the situation and the social distance between speakers. In many common situations, "おとうさん" is sufficient, and "お父様" might sound overly formal or even stiff if not used in a highly formal setting or with a person of much higher status.
複雑な家族関係の中で、彼女は常に___の不在を感じていた。
文脈から、家族関係における「父親」の不在を指しています。
彼の言動には、幼い頃に失った___への深い尊敬と憧れが垣間見える。
「幼い頃に失った」という表現から、故人である「父親」への思いが読み取れます。
その古い日記には、戦時中に他界した___への切ない思いが綴られていた。
「戦時中に他界した」という記述から、日記の書き手の「父親」が亡くなったことが示唆されています。
事業の継承問題で、彼は病床の___との間に深い溝を感じていた。
「事業の継承問題」と「病床」という状況から、その中心人物が「父親」であると推測できます。
彼女の画家としての才能は、他界した___の芸術的感性を強く受け継いでいる。
「他界した」という言葉と「芸術的感性」から、故人である「父親」の影響が語られていると分かります。
彼が語る故郷の思い出には、いつも優しかった___の姿が鮮明に描かれていた。
「故郷の思い出」と「優しかった」という描写から、語り手の「父親」の記憶が中心であることが伺えます。
Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about the role of 'おとうさん' in a traditional Japanese family, discussing societal expectations and changing dynamics in modern times.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
伝統的な日本家庭において、お父さんは家長として家族の生計を支え、子供たちの教育にも深く関わってきました。しかし、現代では夫婦共働きが増え、父親の役割も多様化しています。育児や家事を積極的に分担する「イクメン」という言葉も生まれ、父親像は大きく変化していると言えるでしょう。
Imagine you are writing a letter to a Japanese friend describing your 'おとうさん'. Focus on his personality, hobbies, and how he influences you. Use polite language.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
私の父は、とても穏やかで、いつも家族のことを第一に考えてくれる人です。週末はよく庭の手入れをしていて、それが彼にとってのリラックス法のようです。父の勤勉な姿勢は、私が仕事をする上でも大きな影響を与えています。いつも感謝しています。
Compose a short poem or haiku about 'おとうさん', focusing on a specific memory or feeling you associate with him.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
大きな背中 昔は遠く感じたが 今は寄り添う
この文章から読み取れる、現代の日本における「お父さん」の役割の変化として最も適切なものはどれですか？
Read this passage:
近年の日本社会では、お父さんの育児参加が以前に比べて格段に増えています。かつては「仕事人間」と評されることが多かったお父さんも、育児休業の取得や家事分担に積極的に取り組むようになり、その変化は統計にも表れています。しかし、依然として課題も多く、男性が育児休業を取りやすい環境整備や、社会全体の意識改革が求められています。
この文章から読み取れる、現代の日本における「お父さん」の役割の変化として最も適切なものはどれですか？
文章中に「育児休業の取得や家事分担に積極的に取り組むようになり」とあり、育児・家事への積極的な参加が現代のお父さんの役割の変化として最も適切です。
文章中に「育児休業の取得や家事分担に積極的に取り組むようになり」とあり、育児・家事への積極的な参加が現代のお父さんの役割の変化として最も適切です。
この文章から、父親を呼ぶ際の呼称に関する最も適切な解釈はどれですか？
Read this passage:
「お父さん」という言葉は、子供が父親を呼ぶ際の一般的な呼称ですが、地域や家庭によっては「パパ」や「お父様」といった異なる呼び方も存在します。また、成人してからも「お父さん」と呼ぶ人もいれば、「父」や「親父」といった表現を用いる人もいます。これらの呼称は、親子関係の距離感や文化的な背景を反映していると言えるでしょう。
この文章から、父親を呼ぶ際の呼称に関する最も適切な解釈はどれですか？
文章中に「これらの呼称は、親子関係の距離感や文化的な背景を反映していると言えるでしょう」と明記されています。
文章中に「これらの呼称は、親子関係の距離感や文化的な背景を反映していると言えるでしょう」と明記されています。
この調査結果から、現代の子供たちが「お父さん」に期待することとして、最も重視されているのは何ですか？
Read this passage:
ある調査によると、子供たちが「お父さん」に最も期待することは「一緒に遊んでくれること」だそうです。次いで「話を聞いてくれること」、「褒めてくれること」が挙げられています。これは、単に経済的な支えだけでなく、精神的な繋がりや共感といった側面が、現代の親子関係において重要視されていることを示唆しています。お父さんも、子供とのコミュニケーションの質を高める努力が求められています。
この調査結果から、現代の子供たちが「お父さん」に期待することとして、最も重視されているのは何ですか？
文章冒頭に「子供たちが『お父さん』に最も期待することは『一緒に遊んでくれること』だそうです」と明確に記載されています。
文章冒頭に「子供たちが『お父さん』に最も期待することは『一緒に遊んでくれること』だそうです」と明確に記載されています。
This sentence means 'To me, my father is the most important person.' The order is 'To me,' then 'father is,' followed by 'the most important existence/person.'
This sentence translates to 'His educational philosophy was to respect the independence of children.' The logical flow is 'His educational philosophy' followed by 'was to respect the independence of children.'
This sentence means 'Although he was a strict father, his love was always deep and unwavering.' The structure starts with the 'although' clause, then the main clause describing his love.
/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
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More family words
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.
