おば
oba
The Japanese word for aunt is おば (oba). Wiktionary also lists 叔母 (oba) and 伯母 (oba).
Meaning: a parent's sister or sister-in-law (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| おば | oba | |
| 叔母 | oba | [o̞ba̠] (narrow) |
| 伯母 | oba | [o̞ba̠] (narrow) [ha̠kɯ̟bo̞] (narrow) |
This term refers to a parent's sister or sister-in-law. In colloquial speech, the form おばさん (obasan) is frequently used to address or refer to any middle-aged woman, not just a relative.
Which one should you use?
While all three forms are pronounced the same, the kanji used determines the aunt's relative age to one's parent. 伯母 is used specifically for an aunt who is older than one's parent, while 叔母 is used specifically for an aunt who is younger than one's parent.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form おば uses the honorific prefix 'o-', which is a common way to refer to an aunt politely in speech. For an informal and endearing way to address an aunt, you can use Oba-chan.
How do you pronounce it?
oba
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with the vowel length when speaking.
Did you know?
- Changing the vowel length of おばさん to おばあさん completely changes the meaning from 'aunt' to 'grandmother'.
- While おばさん is a friendly term for a middle-aged woman, calling a woman who considers herself young おばさん can be taken as a serious insult.
- The word おば is likely an ancient compound combining the words for 'small' or 'young' and 'mother'.
Examples in context
- 彼女は叔母に似ている。She resembles her aunt.This sentence shows how to use 叔母 to describe a resemblance.Tatoeba #93114 by bunbuku, translation #310595 by CK
- 彼女は君の伯母だよね？She's your aunt, isn't she?This sentence uses 伯母 to confirm a relationship.Tatoeba #8746489 by small_snow, translation #8526839 by CH
- こちらは私の叔母です。This is my aunt.This sentence demonstrates how to introduce someone using 叔母.Tatoeba #11169092 by small_snow, translation #10701242 by AlanF_US
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a family photo album.
- 蓮 Renこの人は誰？Kono hito wa dare?Who is this person?
- 結衣 Yui私のおばだよ。Watashi no oba da yo.This is my aunt.
- 蓮 Ren結衣にそっくりだね。Yui ni sokkuri da ne.She looks just like you, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiよくそう言われるよ。Yoku sou iwareru yo.I get told that often.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aunt” translations and entries おば, 叔母, 伯母, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 伯母, 叔母, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
