Terms of family

For a better understanding of how exactly to address when speaking please click the link below.
http://stason.org/TULARC/art/anime-faq/31-Please-Tell-Me-About-Japanese-Honorifics-And-Terms-Of-Add.html


For general terms of familiarity
English to Japanese (less formal)

Grandfather - Sofu(mine grandfather) or Ojiisan (general term for oldmen)

Grandmother - Sobo(mine-) or Obaasan (general term for oldwomen)

Uncle- Oji (mine-) or Ojisan (genaral term for middle-aged man)

Aunt - Oba (mine-) or Obasan (genaral term for middle-aged woman)

Big Brother- Ani (mine-), Oniisan, Oniisama, Oniichan, Niisan, Niichan, Aniki, etc

Big Sister- Ane (mine-), Oneesan, Oneesama, Oneechan, Neesan, Neechan, Aneki, etc.

Little Brother -Otouto (never used with "chan" or "kun", except purpose to look him down), "Otouto-san" is used when talking about other person's brother.

Little Sister - Imouto (never used with "chan" or "kun", except purpose to look her down), "Imouto-san" is used when talk about other person's sister.

Father - Chichi (mine-), Otousan, Tousan, Oyaji, Touchan, Papa, etc

Mother - Haha (mine-), Okaasan, Kaasan, Ofukuro, Kaachan, Mama, etc.

Brother - otoko no kyodai; (in general term) Kyoudai.

Brother, Older ani

Brother, Younger ototo

Sister - onna no kyodai; (in general term) Kyoudai (use different kanji with male Kyoudai word, but read same), Shimai.

Sister, Older anne

Sister, Younger imoto

Brothers and Sisters - kyodai
Brother/Sister-in-law same as Big/Little Brother/Sister above, but use different kanji (read same)

Children often call strangers by the above family member terms, depending on what family member they consider the stranger in question old enough to be (with the obvious exceptions of otou-san and okaa-san - like in most other places, you don't call anybody but your parents and perhaps your in-laws 'mom' and 'dad').

A good general age range would be:
ojii-san/obaa-san above 60.
oji-san/oba-san between 25 and 60, although this may vary depending on how old one's parents' siblings are.
onii-san/onee-san younger than 25 but older than you. Generally, this doesn't vary all that much.
otouto/imouto younger than you.

To not use an honorific means one of two things; either contempt for the person to whom you're speaking, or else it implies that you share a *very* close relationship with said person. Also note that the terms for big/little brother and sister are often used as terms of affection for close friends whose relationship with you roughly approximates that of a big or little brother or sister.


For more information click the link below.
http://virtualmekton.tripod.com/ate-iii-iv.html