How to say "aunt" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 叔母おばnounThe plain term for one's own aunt — strictly, a parent's younger sister — used chiefly in writing and when speaking about her rather than to her.
- nounA katakana borrowing of the English word. Less common than the native terms, it is seldom the word you actually want for an aunt.
- nounA rough, dialectal (Kansai) form; it can mean 'aunt' but frequently sounds derogatory, being used pejoratively of middle-aged women, so it is rarely a neutral choice.
- nounThe familiar spoken form, carrying an honorific tone; used in everyday conversation, especially when addressing your aunt directly, and normally written in kana alone.
Use 叔母 to name or write about your own aunt neutrally, 「おばさん」 in everyday speech and when addressing her, 「アーント」 only as a marginal loanword, and 「おばはん」 only as rough, often derogatory Kansai dialect.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
