How to say "relative" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 親戚しんせきnounThe everyday word for a relative or one's relatives in general — aunts, uncles, cousins and so on. The natural choice when talking about family connections in ordinary conversation.クニ子は長井さんと親戚です。↗Kuniko is related to Mr Nagai.
- 親族しんぞくnounCovers relatives as a defined group, with a formal, often legal or administrative flavor. It fits contexts such as documents, rules or formal statements that concern a person's relatives rather than casual chat about family.
- 親身しんみnounDespite the gloss, this is seldom the word you want for 'relative'; it really describes being personally involved or taking something to heart. It does not refer to a person who is a relative, so avoid it in that sense.
- 親類しんるいnounAnother word for relatives, essentially interchangeable with 親戚 in meaning, though it can carry a somewhat traditional flavor. Used when speaking of one's kin or extended family, as in talking about relatives gathering or a relative's household.
- 身寄りみよりnounRefers to relatives or family one can turn to for support, typically in contexts of someone being alone or having no one to depend on. Common in phrases about having or lacking relatives to rely on.
Use 親戚 for relatives in everyday talk, 親族 for relatives as a legal or formal category, 親類 as a slightly old-fashioned everyday alternative, 「身寄り」 for relatives one can rely on, and avoid 親身, which is not about kin.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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