いとこ
itoko[ito̞ko̞]
The Japanese word for "cousins" is いとこ (itoko).
いとこ refers to the children of one's aunts or uncles. In informal conversation, you may use the phrase 親戚の子 to specify that someone is a relative's child to clarify they are your cousin.
How do you pronounce it?
itoko
When do people say it?
To specify the gender or age of a cousin, you can add certain terms: use お兄さん to refer to an older male cousin and お姉さん to refer to an older female cousin.
Did you know?
- The word いとこ originally referred to any 'close' or 'beloved person' in Old Japanese, regardless of whether they were actually a cousin.
- In Japanese culture, the relative's child 親戚の子 can include a wider range of distant relatives than the English 'cousin' usually covers.
- Japanese kinship terms often shift based on the relative's age compared to the speaker, meaning a cousin can be referred to by different words as the speaker grows older.
Examples in context
- いとこの間柄です。We are cousins.This sentence is useful for stating that you are cousins.Tatoeba #228592 by bunbuku, translation #65950 by CK
- 私は母方にいとこが三人いる。I have three cousins on my mother's side.This sentence is useful for stating how many cousins you have on your mother's side.Tatoeba #152846 by nihonjin, translation #250007 by CK
- いとこは海辺に住んでるんだ。My cousins live on the beach.This sentence is useful for stating where your cousins live.Tatoeba #9974871 by small_snow, translation #9966277 by DJ_Saidez
- 俺のいとこMy cousin (informal, used by males)
- 僕のいとこMy cousin (informal, used by males and some females)
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himari shows Kenta a photo of her family.
- 陽葵 Himariこの子は私のいとこです。Kono ko wa watashi no itoko desu.This child is my cousin.
- 健太 Kenta似ていますね！仲はいいですか？Nite imasu ne! Naka wa ii desu ka?You look alike! Do you get along well?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、いとことよく遊びます。Hai, itoko to yoku asobimasu.Yes, I play with my cousin often.
- 健太 Kentaそれはいいですね。Sore wa ii desu ne.That's nice.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry いとこ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries いとこ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
