Talk About Your Siblings and Parents in Japanese

Saying How Many Siblings You Have

To say how many siblings you have in total, including yourself, use the pattern watashi wa [number] kyōdai desu. For example, «私は三人兄弟です。» means “I am one of three siblings.” This is a common way to answer the question «兄弟は何人ですか。», which means “How many siblings do you have?” The word kyōdai covers brothers and sisters together. When you want to name specific sisters, use imasu. For example, «私は姉が二人います。» means “I have two older sisters.” Here ane means older sister, and futari means two people. If you have a younger sister, you can say «私は妹が一人います。», which means “I have one younger sister.” Imōto means younger sister, and hitori means one person. Notice that the number comes before imasu, and the sibling word is marked with ga.

Saying Where Your Parents Live

To say where your parents live, use the pattern ryōshin wa [place] ni sunde imasu. For example, «両親は海外に住んでいます。» means “My parents live abroad.” Ryōshin means parents, kaigai ni means “abroad,” and sunde imasu means “are living.” You do not need watashi no in this sentence because it is clear from context that you are talking about your own parents. In the recorded dialogue, person A asks «そうですか。両親も東京に住んでいますか。», which means “I see. Do your parents also live in Tokyo?” Person B answers «いいえ、両親は海外に住んでいます。», meaning “No, my parents live abroad.” The question uses mo to mean “also,” and the answer uses the same sunde imasu pattern. You can replace kaigai with other places you know, but keep the same structure.

Asking a Friend About Their Siblings

To ask a friend how many siblings they have, say «兄弟は何人ですか。» This means “How many siblings do you have?” The word nan-nin means “how many people,” and it is used for counting people. After your friend answers, you can respond with «そうですか。» meaning “I see,” and then ask about their parents. For example, «両親も東京に住んでいますか。» means “Do your parents also live in Tokyo?” The mo here means “also,” suggesting you are asking about parents in addition to siblings. When you answer, you can use the same patterns you learned: watashi wa [number] kyōdai desu for siblings, and ryōshin wa [place] ni sunde imasu for parents. Practice switching roles so you can both ask and answer.

Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.

Checking available voices…

Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.

Common questions