Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| お爺さん | ojīsan | [o̞ʑiːsã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 親父 | oyaji | [o̞ja̠ʑi] (narrow) [ɕĩmpɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 老爺 | oyaji | [o̞ja̠ʑi] (narrow) [ɾo̞ːja̠] (narrow) |
| 爺 | jijī | |
| 老人 | rōjin | [ɾo̞ːʑĩɴ] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different terms for an 'old man' depending on whether you are being polite, clinical or casual. While terms like お爺さん or 老人 refer to an elderly man, others like 親父 may specifically refer to one's father in a colloquial way.
Which one should you use?
お爺さん is the standard polite way to refer to an elderly man in social contexts, and while it can literally mean 'grandfather', it is commonly used for any elderly male. 老人 is a more neutral, clinical term for an 'elderly person' or 'old man', often used in official contexts or news reports. In contrast, 爺 is a derogatory or highly informal way to refer to an old man, similar to calling someone a 'geezer'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お爺さん is a polite and respectful term. 老人 is formal and neutral, suitable for official or descriptive purposes. 親父 is an informal term that can mean 'old man' in a rough way, but it is also a very common way for a man to refer to his own father. 爺 is highly informal and can be disrespectful. Additionally, おっさん is a casual term used to refer to a middle-aged or older man.
How do you pronounce it?
ojīsan
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse お爺さん (grandfather/elderly man) with ojisan (uncle/middle-aged man). The distinction relies on the long vowel sound in お爺さん.
Did you know?
- Because the difference between ojisan (middle-aged man) and ojīsan (elderly man) is only a vowel length, a slight slip in pronunciation can accidentally age someone by twenty years.
- The term 親父 is a special type of reading called 'jukujikun', where the kanji are read as a single unit based on their meaning rather than following their standard individual pronunciations.
- While お爺さん is polite, the version without the honorific prefix お and suffix さん, which is 爺, is often used in fiction to portray grumpy or stubborn characters.
Examples in context
- 老人が近づいてきた。The old man approached.This sentence shows the movement of a 老人.Tatoeba #684575 by arihato, translation #2719633 by WestofEden
- 老人は杖をついていた。The old man walked with a stick.This sentence describes a 老人 using a walking aid.Tatoeba #77270 by small_snow, translation #326449 by CK
- その老人が座っている。The old man is sitting.This sentence describes the position of a 老人.Tatoeba #6849931 by Sonata, translation #4576450 by Choctaw_Irish
- 85 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are walking in a park.
- 蓮 Renあのお爺さん、とても優しそうですね。Ano ojiisan, totemo yasashisou desu ne.That old man looks very kind.
- 陽葵 Himari本当ですね、蓮さん。Hontou desu ne, Ren-san.That's true, Ren.
- 蓮 Renベンチで本を読んでいますよ。Benchi de hon o yonde imasu yo.He is reading a book on the bench.
- 陽葵 Himari穏やかな時間ですね。Odayaka na jikan desu ne.It is a peaceful time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old man” translations and entries お爺さん, 親父, 老爺, 爺, 老人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 親父, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
