Japanese Genealogical Word List

Family/Household Relationships

adopted child - 養子 [ようし], youshi

eldest daughter - 長女 [ちょうじょ], choujo

eldest son - 長男 [ちょうなん], chounan

father - 父 [ちち], chichi

grandchild - 孫 [まご], mago

grandfather - 祖父 [そふ], sofu

grandmother - 祖母 [そぼ], sobo

great grandchild - 曾孫; 曽孫 [そうそん; ひまご; ひいまご], souson, himago, or hiimago

great grandfather - 曾祖父; 曽祖父 [そうそふ; ひいじじ], sousofu or hiijiji

great grandmother - 曾祖母; 曽祖母 [そうそぼ; ひいばば], sousoba or hiibaba

great-great grandfather - 高祖父 [こうそふ], kosoufu

great-great grandmother - 高祖母 [こうそぼ], kosoubo

head of household - 戸主 [こしゅ], koshu

husband - 夫 [おっと], otto

mother - 母 [はは], haha

older sister - 姉 [あね], ane

previous head of household - 前戸主 [ぜんこしゅ], zenkoshu

stepfather - 継父 [けいふ], keifu

stepmother - 継母 [けいぼ], keibo

wife -妻 [つま], tsuma

younger brother - 弟 [おとうと], otouto

younger sister - 妹 [いもうと], imouto

Genealogical Documents

Buddhist death register - 過去帳 [かこちょう], kakochou

expired family register - 除籍 [じょせき], joseki

family register - 戸籍 [こせき], koseki

Place/Area Terms

city - 市 [し], shi

house number - 番地 [ばんち], banchi

metropolitan prefecture - 都 [と], to

permanent domicile - 本籍地 [ほんせきち], honsekichi

prefecture - 県 [けん], ken

province - 国; 國 [くに], kuni

town - 町 [まち; ちょう], machi or chou

village - 村 [むら; そん], mura or son

ward - 区 [く], ku