Brothers sisters and family
Conversation phrases, Stage 1chunk 11 of 68Getting to know you
Ask about siblings and family size and describe your own.
- kyoudai iru?do you have any brothers or sisters?
- nannin kazoku?how many are there in your family?
- hitorikko na n daI'm an only child
- ani ga hitori iruI've got one older brother
- yonin kazoku da yothere are four of us in my family
Mix-ups ani is your own older brother; theirs is oniisan.
kyoudai iru?
polite gokyoudai wa imasu ka?
do you have any brothers or sisters?
Kyoudai covers sisters too; answer with who and how many (ani ga hitori), or hitorikko.
Go- makes it polite for someone else's family; your own is just kyoudai.
kyoudai iru? nanka suekko tte kanji suru.
Got any brothers or sisters? You seem like the youngest.
兄弟いる？なんか末っ子って感じする。
gokyoudai wa imasu ka? suekko tte kanji ga shimasu ne.
Do you have any brothers or sisters? You seem like the youngest.
ご兄弟はいますか？末っ子って感じがしますね。
Written 兄弟いる？ · きょうだいいる？ · ご兄弟はいますか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 240× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
nannin kazoku?
polite nannin kazoku desu ka?
how many are there in your family?
Counts everyone in the family you grew up in, you included; answer with a number + -nin kazoku.
nannin kazoku? kyoudai ooi?
How many in your family? Lots of brothers and sisters?
何人家族？兄弟多い？
nannin kazoku desu ka? gokyoudai wa ooi desu ka?
How many are there in your family? Do you have many siblings?
何人家族ですか？ご兄弟は多いですか？
Written 何人家族？ · なんにんかぞく？ · 何人家族ですか？Who you say it and hear itHeard 1× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
hitorikko na n da
polite hitorikko na n desu
I'm an only child
Answer to kyoudai iru?; na n da gives it an explaining tone.
kyoudai inai. hitorikko na n da.
No brothers or sisters. I'm an only child.
兄弟いない。一人っ子なんだ。
kyoudai wa imasen. hitorikko na n desu.
I don't have any brothers or sisters. I'm an only child.
兄弟はいません。一人っ子なんです。
Written 一人っ子なんだ · ひとりっこなんだ · 一人っ子なんですWho you say itHeard 36× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
ani ga hitori iru
polite ani ga hitori imasu
I've got one older brother
The pattern for your siblings: family word + ga + number of people + iru (imouto ga futari iru).
Your own: ani, ane, otouto, imouto; someone else's: oniisan, oneesan.
ani ga hitori iru yo. ima amerika ni sunderu.
I've got one older brother. He lives in America now.
兄が一人いるよ。今アメリカに住んでる。
ani ga hitori imasu. ima amerika ni sunde imasu.
I have one older brother. He lives in America now.
兄が一人います。今アメリカに住んでいます。
Written 兄が一人いる · あにがひとりいる · 兄が一人いますWho you say itHeard 5× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
yonin kazoku da yo
polite yonin kazoku desu
there are four of us in my family
Answer to nannin kazoku?; count yourself in, then list who.
Counting people: hitori, futari, sannin, yonin (not yon-nin or shinin).
yonin kazoku da yo. ryoushin to ani to watashi.
There are four of us. My parents, my brother and me.
4人家族だよ。両親と兄と私。
yonin kazoku desu. ryoushin to ani to watashi desu.
There are four of us: my parents, my older brother and me.
4人家族です。両親と兄と私です。
Written 4人家族だよ · よにんかぞくだよ · 4人家族ですWho you say itHeard 3× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles