家族— In-Group vs Out-Group Family Terms

• 父は銀行員です。

  Chichi wa ginkouin desu.

  My father is a bank employee.

  父 (my father — plain/humble form) + は + 銀行員です (is a bank employee)

• お父さんはお元気ですか？

  Otousan wa ogenki desu ka?

  Is your father doing well?

  お父さん (your father — respectful form) + は + お元気ですか (is he well?)

• 母は毎晩ごはんを作ります。

  Haha wa maiban gohan o tsukurimasu.

  My mother cooks dinner every evening.

  母 (my mother — plain/humble form for one's own family) + は + 作ります (makes)

• ・The rule of face: don't use respectful terms (お母さん, お兄さん) for your own family when speaking to outsiders — use the plain forms (母, 兄) to humbly lower your in-group and show respect.
• ・Siblings: Japanese distinguishes older vs younger: 兄 (older brother) / 姉 (older sister) / 弟 (younger brother) / 妹 (younger sister).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones 家族 is tested against.

• たい (tai) — Expressing Desire
• てもいい — Giving/Asking Permission
• に行く (ni iku) — Go (in order) To Do
• 天気 — Talking About the Weather
• を + 食べる／飲む — Eating and Drinking
• 〜が痛い — Expressing Pain
• だろう／でしょう — Probability & Seeking Agreement
• Set Polite Phrases — Social Lubricants