How to Say "Relatives" in Japanese

親戚

shinseki

The English phrase "relatives" is translated into Japanese as 親戚 (shinseki).

親戚 is used to refer to people who are connected to you by blood or marriage.

How do you pronounce it?

shinseki

In Japanese culture, when referring to one's own relatives to someone else, you use different, more humble terms than when speaking about someone else's relatives.
In historical Japanese contexts, the definition of 親戚 could include political allies who were brought into the family circle through strategic marriages.
During the New Year holiday, 親戚 often gather for 'seibo' or 'chugen', the traditional exchange of seasonal gifts to maintain family bonds.

あの人たちは親戚なの？
Are they your relatives?
This sentence is useful for asking if a group of people are relatives using 親戚.
Tatoeba #8757993 by bunbuku, translation #1495839 by CK
外国に親戚はいますか？
Do you have relatives abroad?
This sentence is useful for asking if someone has relatives abroad using 親戚.
Tatoeba #9469244 by bunbuku, translation #9469253 by sundown
親戚がいっぱいいるんだ。
I have many relatives.
This sentence is useful for stating that one has many relatives using 親戚.
Tatoeba #9466367 by small_snow, translation #9431228 by Nylez
3 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about an upcoming family gathering.

結衣 Yui

今度、親戚の集まりがあるんだ。
Kondo, shinseki no atsumari ga arunda.
I have a relatives' gathering coming up soon.
健太 Kenta

親戚はたくさん来るの？
Shinseki wa takusan kuru no?
Are many relatives coming?
結衣 Yui

うん、健太君の家みたいに多いよ。
Un, Kenta-kun no ie mitai ni ooi yo.
Yeah, there are as many as in your house, Kenta.
健太 Kenta

それは大変そうだね。
Sore wa taihen sou da ne.
That sounds like a lot of work.

Sources

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