Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 7
かぞくは よにんですMy family is four people
Family words and the counter nin for people: hitori, futari, sannin, yonin (hitori and futari are irregular). Ask how many with nannin desu ka. For your own family you are humble — chichi, haha; for someone else's, polite — otōsan, okāsan. Kana: 濁点 and long vowels together — otōsan, okāsan.
Dialogue
i
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かぞくは よにんです— My Family Is Four People
- Yukiマイクさんのかぞくはなんにんですか。Mike, how many people are in your family?
- Mikeよっつです。Four (things). (mistake: used the つ counter for people)
- Yukiひとは「よにん」ですよ。「よっつ」じゃないです。For people it's "yonin", you know. Not "yottsu".
- Mikeあ、かぞくはよにんです。こどもはふたりです。Ah, my family is four people. There are two children.
Dialogue
i
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ちち と はは— My Father and Mother
- Kenマイクさんのおとうさんはかいしゃいんですか。Mike, is your father an office worker?
- Mikeはい、わたしのおとうさんはかいしゃいんです。Yes, my father is an office worker. (slight slip: otōsan for own father)
- Kenマイクさんのかぞくは「ちち」ですよ。「ちちはかいしゃいんです」。For your own family it's "chichi". "Chichi wa kaishain desu".
- Mikeあ、ちちはかいしゃいんです。はははせんせいです。Ah, my father is an office worker. My mother is a teacher.
Vocabulary
i
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- かぞく
nounfamily
- ちち
noun(my) father
- はは
noun(my) mother
- おとうさん
nounfather (someone's / polite)
- おかあさん
nounmother (someone's / polite)
- ひとり
numeralone person
- ふたり
numeraltwo people
- さんにん
numeralthree people
- よにん
numeralfour people
- なんにん
pronounhow many people
- こども
nounchild
Grammar
i
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Counting people with にん (nin)
Explanation
To count people, add nin to the number: sannin (3 people), yonin (4 people). But hitori (1) and futari (2) are special readings — you do NOT say "ichinin / ninin". Ask the number of people with nannin desu ka. It is common when stating family size, as in Kazoku wa yonin desu (My family is four people).
Examples
- かぞくは なんにんですか。— よにんです。How many people in your family? — Four.
- こどもは ふたりです。There are two children.
- わたしの かぞくは さんにんです。My family is three people.
Kana
i
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ひらがな: だくてん と ちょうおん— Hiragana: 濁点 + Long Vowels Together
Family words with both 濁点 and a long vowel:
- おとうさんotōsanfather — long "ō" (おう)
- おかあさんokāsanmother — long "ā" (ああ)
- きょうだいkyōdaisiblings — 拗音 きょ + long "ō" + voiced だ
- かぞくkazokufamily — voiced ぞ (濁点 on そ)
Read, watching the voicing and the length:
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