ご家族
gokazoku
In Japanese, "your family" is expressed as ご家族 (gokazoku).
The phrase ご家族 is used in formal or polite social settings to inquire about or refer to the listener's family.
Which one should you use?
While ご家族 is used to show respect to the listener's family, the plain form 家族 is used when talking about one's own family.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The addition of the prefix ご makes the phrase polite and suitable for addressing someone else's family members. For example, when referring to specific family members of others, formal terms like Okāsan (mother), Onee-san (older sister), Ojīsan (grandfather) and Obaasan (grandmother) are used. In contrast, informal terms such as Otouto (younger brother), Imōto (younger sister) or Jiisan (grandfather) would be appropriate.
How do you pronounce it?
gokazoku
Did you know?
- A common mistake for learners is using the polite version of a family title, like お父さん (father), when talking about their own father to a boss. This sounds like you are treating your own father as a superior stranger rather than your own relative.
- In traditional Japanese culture, the concept of 'family' often extended beyond blood relatives to include adopted members of a professional household, such as a merchant's apprentice.
- In Japanese, the word 家族 (family) is a relatively modern term. Before it became common, people used terms related to 'household' or 'bloodline' to describe their kin.
Examples in context
- ご家族によろしく。Give my regards to your family.This sentence is useful for giving regards to someone's family using ご家族.Tatoeba #217201 by bunbuku, translation #1007968 by CK
- ご家族はお元気ですか。How is your family?This sentence is useful for asking how someone's family is doing using ご家族.Tatoeba #217191 by bunbuku, translation #24081 by CM
- ご家族はお元気ですか？How's your family?This sentence is a variation of asking how someone's family is doing using ご家族.Tatoeba #4260196 by tommy_san, translation #54503 by CK
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are chatting during a break at work.
- 結衣 Yuiご家族で旅行に行かれたんですか。Gokazoku de ryokō ni ikareta n desu ka.Did you go on a trip with your family?
- 健太 Kentaはい、北海道に行ってきました。Hai, Hokkaidō ni itte kimashita.Yes, I went to Hokkaido.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。ご家族は皆さんお元気ですか。Ii desu ne. Gokazoku wa minasan ogenki desu ka.That's nice. Is your family all doing well?
- 健太 Kentaはい、みんな元気です。ありがとうございます。Hai, minna genki desu. Arigatō gozaimasu.Yes, everyone is fine. Thank you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
