いとこ
itoko[ito̞ko̞]
The Japanese word for cousin is いとこ (itoko). If unsure, use いとこ. Wiktionary also lists 従兄弟 (itoko) and 従姉妹 (itoko).
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| いとこ | itoko | [ito̞ko̞] (narrow) | |
| 従兄弟 | itoko | [d͡ʑɨːke̞ːte̞ː] (narrow) | masculine |
| 従姉妹 | itoko | [d͡ʑɨːɕima̠i] (narrow) | feminine |
The word refers to the child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister.
Which one should you use?
While the term is generally written in hiragana, specific kanji can be used to indicate gender. The kanji 従兄弟 is specifically used to refer to a male cousin, and 従姉妹 is specifically used to refer to a female cousin. The hiragana いとこ is the most common way to write the word and is gender-neutral.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the word possessive, such as saying 'my cousin's [object]', add the particle の to make いとこの. To indicate gender using kanji, use 従兄弟 for a male or 従姉妹 for a female.
How do you pronounce it?
itoko
Did you know?
- In direct conversation, Japanese speakers rarely call their cousin いとこ to their face. Instead, they use the person's name or familial titles like お姉さん for an older female cousin.
- In ancient Japanese, the word いとこ did not just mean a cousin, but referred more broadly to a 'close' or 'beloved' person.
- The kanji 従姉妹 for a female cousin is a combination of the characters for 'secondary', 'older sister' and 'younger sister'.
Examples in context
- 彼は私のいとこでない。He isn't my cousin.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is not your いとこ.Tatoeba #105948 by bunbuku, translation #297738 by CK
- トムは私のいとこです。Tom's my cousin.This sentence is useful for identifying Tom as your いとこ.Tatoeba #3366956 by arnab, translation #2549442 by CK
- こちらは私のいとこです。This is my cousin.This sentence is useful for introducing someone as your いとこ.Tatoeba #224151 by bunbuku, translation #61487 by CK
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at a family photograph together.
- 健太 Kentaこの人はだれですか？Kono hito wa dare desu ka?Who is this person?
- 結衣 Yui私のいとこです。Watashi no itoko desu.This is my cousin.
- 健太 Kentaどこに住んでいますか？Doko ni sunde imasu ka?Where do they live?
- 結衣 Yuiいとこは大阪に住んでいます。Itoko wa Osaka ni sunde imasu.My cousin lives in Osaka.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cousin” translations and entries いとこ, 従兄弟, 従姉妹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries いとこ, 従兄弟, 従姉妹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
