🏠 People Words in Japanese: Your Family, Body & Jobs!

The Story of You

Imagine you’re an explorer visiting Japan! You meet people everywhere—your family at home, you see your own body in the mirror, and you meet workers around town. Let’s learn the magic words to talk about all these people!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Part 1: Family Words (Kazoku - 家族)

The BIG Secret About Japanese Families

Here’s something super cool: In Japanese, you use different words for YOUR family vs. SOMEONE ELSE’S family!

Think of it like this:

• When talking about YOUR mom, you’re being humble (like saying “my little house”)
• When talking about THEIR mom, you’re being polite (like saying “your beautiful house”)

Your Own Family (Humble Words)

Use these when talking about YOUR family to others:

Example Sentences:

母は料理が上手です。 (Haha wa ryōri ga jōzu desu.) “My mother is good at cooking.”

Someone Else’s Family (Polite Words)

Use these when talking about THEIR family:

Example Sentences:

お母さんはお元気ですか？ (Okāsan wa ogenki desu ka?) “Is your mother well?”

Quick Comparison Chart

graph TD
    A[Talking About Family] --> B[YOUR Family]
    A --> C[THEIR Family]
    B --> D[Use HUMBLE words<br>haha, chichi, ani...]
    C --> E[Use POLITE words<br>okāsan, otōsan, onīsan...]

🦵 Part 2: Body Parts (Karada - 体)

Your Body is a House!

Imagine your body is a house. Let’s learn the names of each room!

The Head Area (Top Floor)

Example:

目が大きいですね！ (Me ga ōkii desu ne!) “Your eyes are big!”

The Body Middle (Main Floor)

Example:

手を洗ってください。 (Te o aratte kudasai.) “Please wash your hands.”

The Bottom Half (Ground Floor)

Body Parts Flow

graph TD
    A[頭 atama<br>HEAD] --> B[顔 kao<br>FACE]
    B --> C[首 kubi<br>NECK]
    C --> D[肩 kata<br>SHOULDERS]
    D --> E[腕 ude<br>ARMS]
    E --> F[手 te<br>HANDS]
    D --> G[胸 mune<br>CHEST]
    G --> H[お腹 onaka<br>STOMACH]
    H --> I[足 ashi<br>LEGS]
    I --> J[足 ashi<br>FEET]

👨‍⚕️ Part 3: Jobs & Occupations (Shigoto - 仕事)

People at Work!

When you walk around town, you meet people doing different jobs. Let’s learn what to call them!

Common Jobs

Example:

私の父は医者です。 (Watashi no chichi wa isha desu.) “My father is a doctor.”

More Jobs Around Town

Asking About Jobs

The magic question:

お仕事は何ですか？ (Oshigoto wa nan desu ka?) “What is your job?”

And you can answer:

私は＿＿です。 (Watashi wa ___ desu.) “I am a ___.”

Jobs Flow Chart

graph TD
    A[仕事 Shigoto<br>WORK] --> B[Healthcare]
    A --> C[Education]
    A --> D[Services]
    A --> E[Arts]
    B --> B1[医者 isha<br>Doctor]
    B --> B2[看護師 kangoshi<br>Nurse]
    C --> C1[先生 sensei<br>Teacher]
    C --> C2[学生 gakusei<br>Student]
    D --> D1[店員 ten'in<br>Clerk]
    D --> D2[運転手 untenshu<br>Driver]
    E --> E1[芸術家 geijutsuka<br>Artist]
    E --> E2[音楽家 ongakuka<br>Musician]

🌟 Putting It All Together!

Now you can describe people! Here’s how:

私の母は先生です。 (Watashi no haha wa sensei desu.) “My mother is a teacher.”

お父さんの頭は大きいです！ (Otōsan no atama wa ōkii desu!) “Your father’s head is big!”

弟の目はきれいです。 (Otōto no me wa kirei desu.) “My younger brother’s eyes are pretty.”

🎯 Remember These Key Patterns!

Pattern 1: Describing Family’s Job

[Family member] は [Job] です。 ___ wa ___ desu.

Pattern 2: Describing Body Parts

[Person]の[Body part]は[Description]です。 ___ no ___ wa ___ desu.

Pattern 3: Asking About Family

[Polite family term]はお元気ですか？ ___ wa ogenki desu ka?

🏆 You Did It!

You now know:

• ✅ How to talk about YOUR family (humble words)
• ✅ How to talk about THEIR family (polite words)
• ✅ All the main body parts
• ✅ Common jobs and occupations

Next time you see a picture of a family, try naming everyone in Japanese!

頑張って！(Ganbatte! - Good luck!)