Japanese dictionary
How to say "daughter" in Japanese
娘むすめ · musume
"Daughter" in Japanese is 娘 (musume) when talking about your own. For someone else's daughter, say 娘さん (musumesan) or the more polite お嬢さん (ojōsan).
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Ways to say "daughter" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 娘むすめ · musume | Daughter (your own). |
| 娘さんむすめさん · musumesan | Daughter (someone else's; polite). |
| お嬢さんおじょうさん · ojōsan | Daughter (someone else's; very polite). |
| 長女ちょうじょ · chōjo | Eldest daughter. |
How to use it
Japanese uses humble words for your own family and polite words for others' families.
The eldest daughter is 長女 (chōjo), and the second is 次女 (jijo).
Example sentences
- 娘は小学生です。Musume wa shōgakusei desu.My daughter is in elementary school.
- 娘さんはおいくつですか。Musumesan wa o-ikutsu desu ka.How old is your daughter?
- お嬢さんはお元気ですか。Ojōsan wa o-genki desu ka.How is your daughter?
- 娘が二人います。Musume ga futari imasu.I have two daughters.
- 長女が来年大学に入ります。Chōjo ga rainen daigaku ni hairimasu.My eldest daughter starts college next year.
- 娘の学校行事で午後休みます。Musume no gakkō gyōji de gogo yasumimasu.I'm taking the afternoon off for a school event for my daughter.
Questions
What is the difference between 娘 and 娘さん?
Use 娘 (musume) for your own daughter. Use 娘さん (musumesan) or お嬢さん (ojōsan) for someone else's daughter.
How do you say "son" in Japanese?
Son is 息子 (musuko). Someone else's son is 息子さん (musukosan).
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.