How Japanese Kids Address Their Parents?

Japanese parents are called りょうしん (ryōshin), while their father is ちち (chichi) and mother is はは (haha). Japanese children typically address their parents using honorific titles, such as “Otōsan” (お父さん) for father and “Okāsan” (お母さん) for mother. These titles are equivalent to 父(ちち) and 母(はは), but they sound more formal and carry a nuance emphasizing their parental role.

For children, it is common to refer to their wife or husband as お母ちゃん (おかあちゃん, okaachan), which is close to “mommy”, or ママ (mama), a loan word from English. お母様 (おかあさま, okaasama) is a very respectful term.

Japanese family terms go beyond the basic mother, father, brother, and sister, offering a rich array of designations based on age, gender, and marital status. Children call out to their parents using two very standard words: ママ (mama) and パパ (papa). Papa and mama are usually used without -san by their children, though some people do use the honorific.

In Japan, children call their parents Dad and Mom, or other words to that effect. Older siblings are also called by position. Fathers and children may start out with a nickname to make it easier for the child to understand. The common case would be the surname + “no” + “Ojisan” or “Ojichan”, or “Obasan” or “Obachan”.