Counting Family Members in Japanese
How do you talk about the number of family members you have in Japanese?
ご家族は何人ですか？
ごかぞく は なんにん です か？
Gokazoku wa nan'nin desu ka?
How many people are in your family? (quite formal)
何人家族ですか？
なんにん かぞく です か？
Nan'nin kazoku desu ka?
How many people are in your family? (less formal but still polite)
家族は四人です。
かぞく は よんにん です。
Kazoku wa yon'nin desu.
There are four people in my family.
How do you count how many family members you have? Remember to include yourself in the number!
If your family is father, mother, you, and a sibling, or you, a parent, and two siblings, or any combination of four people, you would be a family of four:
四人家族です。
よんにん かぞく です。
Yon'nin kazoku desu.
(We are) a family of four.
When discussing siblings, you say how many total siblings there are (including yourself).
兄弟は何人いますか？
きょうだい は なんにん います か？
Kyoudai wa nan'nin imasu ka?
How many siblings do you have？
If you are an only child you can say:
一人子です。
ひとりっこ です。
Hitorikko desu.
I am an only child.
If you (a boy, for example) have one brother, you would be two siblings (兄弟/きょうだい/kyoudai):
二人兄弟です。
ふたり きょうだい です。
Futari kyoudai desu.
(We are) two siblings.
In English: I have one sibling (and we are both male).
If you (a girl, for example) have one sister, you would also be two siblings (姉妹/しまい/shimai):
二人姉妹です。
ふたり しまい です。
(We are) two siblings.
In English: I have one sibling (and we are both female).
Note: You can use 兄弟 (kyoudai) to refer to any two siblings, but writing it with the kanji 兄 and 弟 usually implies two males (other brother and younger brother).
There are other variations on the combinations of brother and sister. For example, older sister/younger brother, older brother/younger sister:
姉弟 してい shitei older sister, younger brother
兄妹 けいまい keimai older brother, younger sister
For multiple siblings, if you are a male and have only brothers you can use 兄弟 (kyoudai), and if you are a female and have only sisters you can use 姉妹 (shimai). If you have a mix you can use 兄弟 (kyoudai):
四人兄弟です。
よんにん きょうだい です。
Yon'nin kyoudai desu.
(We are) four brothers/siblings.
In English: I have three brothers/siblings.
四人姉妹です。
よんにん しまい です。
Yon'nin shimai desu.
(We are) four sisters.
In English: I have three sisters (and I am a female as well).
In general, if you use 兄弟 (kyoudai) that is the most generic way to say siblings.
兄弟はいますか？
きょうだい は います か？
Kyoudai wa imasu ka?
Do you have siblings?
三人兄弟です。
さんにんきょうだいです。
San'nin kyoudai desu.
(We are) three siblings.
In English: I have two siblings. (There are three of us).
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