いとこ

い

と

こ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to a male cousin. The female counterpart is 従姉妹 (いとこ). In modern Japanese, いとこ is often used without gender distinction in kana.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉といとこ同どう士しだto be cousins with someone
私わたしと彼かれは父ちち方かたのいとこ同どう士しだ。
He and I are cousins on my father's side.
〈人ひと〉のいとこに当あたるto be related to someone as a cousin
彼かの女じょは私わたしのいとこに当あたる。
She is my cousin.

Kanji

従accompany, obey, submit to
兄elder brother, big brother
弟younger brother, faithful service to elders

Related words

従じゅう兄けいN3
いとこ is the neutral, everyday word for any cousin regardless of age or gender, while 従兄 specifically means an older male cousin.

Don't confuse with

いとこN2
従兄弟 refers to a male cousin while 従姉妹 refers to a female cousin, even though both are pronounced いとこ and are often written simply in kana.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Word family

みいとこ
third cousin
ふたいとこ
second cousin
またいとこ
second cousin
いやいとこ
second cousin

Written forms

いとこUsage60%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 従兄弟 is rare in modern writing.
従兄弟Usage33%
- いとこ
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
  Kanji spelling for male cousin; rarely used in practice. The reading いとこ is a jukujikun.
- じゅうけいてい
イトコUsage7%
じゅうけいてい

Etymology

The reading いとこ is a jukujikun applied to the kanji 従兄弟, which literally means 'follow elder/younger brother'. The historical derivation of いとこ is uncertain.