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おばさん (obasan) Japanese meaning: aunt | Kotomora
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さん
が
手て
作づく
り
の
ケーキ
を
持も
っ
て
き
て
くれ
た
。
My aunt brought a homemade cake.
During summer vacation I went to visit my aunt's house in the countryside.
Don't confuse with おばさん means 'aunt' or a middle-aged woman, while おばあさん (with a longer あ sound) means 'grandmother' or an elderly woman.
おばさん refers to a middle-aged woman or aunt, while おっさん refers to a man; the two sound similar but denote opposite genders.
おばさん (aunt/middle-aged woman) sounds similar to 母さん/お母さん but refers to a different, non-maternal relation.
おばあちゃん (with a long ā sound) means grandma or an elderly woman, while おばさん (short a) means aunt or a middle-aged woman, so the vowel length changes the meaning entirely.
Counted with The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).
Written forms 伯母おば さん
Specifically an aunt older than one's parent.
叔母おば さん
Specifically an aunt younger than one's parent.
Etymology Derived from をば (oba, 'aunt') + honorific さん. The kanji 伯母 and 叔母 are Chinese borrowings that distinguish seniority.
