息子
musuko[mɯ̟sɨ̥ko̞]
The Japanese word for son is 息子 (musuko). Wiktionary also lists 坊っちゃん (botchan).
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 息子 | musuko | [mɯ̟sɨ̥ko̞] (narrow) | |
| 坊っちゃん | botchan | [bo̞t̚t͡ɕã̠ɴ] (narrow) | honorific |
The term 息子 is used to refer to a male person in relation to his parents. It is the standard way to talk about a son in general or to refer to your own son.
Which one should you use?
息子 is the standard, neutral term. In contrast, 坊っちゃん is used as an honorific to refer to someone else's son.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
息子 is the appropriate humble term to use when speaking to others about your own son in formal settings. 坊っちゃん is a highly polite or affectionate way to refer to someone else's son, often implying he is a well-bred or pampered young boy.
How do you pronounce it?
musuko
When do people say it?
When using the honorific 坊っちゃん, the speaker often implies that the boy is well-bred or perhaps somewhat pampered.
Did you know?
- The character 坊 in 坊っちゃん originally referred to a Buddhist monk or a priest's living quarters.
- The word 息子 contains the character for 'breath' or 'life' (息), which stems from the ancient verb 'musu', meaning 'to beget' or 'to give birth'.
- The word 坊っちゃん can be used sarcastically to describe a man who is overly pampered or acting like a spoiled child.
Examples in context
- 息子は八歳です。My son is eight years old.This sentence is useful for stating the age of your 息子.Tatoeba #10798107 by small_snow, translation #5023310 by CarpeLanam
- 息子は５歳です。My son is five years old.Tatoeba #11052356 by small_snow, translation #10739384 by Cabo
- 息子が一人います。I have a son.This sentence is useful for stating that you have one 息子.Tatoeba #3492780 by arnab, translation #2358822 by CK
- こんにちは、私の 息子 は大学生です。Hello, my son is a university student.
- 263 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking about their families.
- 陽太 Yota息子は今、大学で勉強しています。Musuko wa ima, daigaku de benkyou shite imasu.My son is studying at university now.
- 結衣 Yuiそうなんですね。おいくつですか。Sou nan desu ne. Oikutsu desu ka.I see. How old is he?
- 陽太 Yota息子は二十歳になりました。Musuko wa hatachi ni narimashita.My son turned twenty.
- 結衣 Yuiもう大人ですね。Mou otona desu ne.He is an adult already.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries 息子, 坊っちゃん, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 坊っちゃん, 息子, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
