叔父おじ

お

じ

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

Refers to one's parent's brother. The kanji 伯父 (older) and 叔父 (younger) can distinguish age relative to the parent, but おじ in kana or either kanji is often used generically.

Kanji

叔uncle, youth
父father
伯chief, count, earl

Related words

伯父えおじ
伯父 read as えおじ is an archaic reading for 'father's older brother', while the same kanji read おじ is the modern, everyday reading used today.

Opposites

叔母おばN4
叔父 refers to an uncle (parent's brother), while 叔母 refers to an aunt (parent's sister).

Politeness

おじさんN5
伯父さん is the affectionate or address form used when speaking to or about an uncle, while 伯父 is the plain kinship term used in formal or written contexts.

Don't confuse with

伯父えおじ
伯父 (えおじ／おじ) specifically means father's older brother, while 叔父 (おじ) specifically means father's younger brother, though modern kana usage often blurs the distinction.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Word family

大おお叔父おじ
granduncle; great-uncle
叔父おじ貴き
uncle (younger than one's parent); honorific uncle
おじちゃん
uncle; middle-aged man

Written forms

叔父Usage25%
- おじ
  Standard kanji spelling for uncle, especially when younger than one's parent. Also used generically.
- しゅくふ
おじ

Etymology

The reading おじ is native Japanese. The kanji 叔父 and 伯父 are Chinese borrowings that distinguish younger and older uncles, respectively.

Usage52%

Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the age distinction is not important.

伯父Usage16%

おじ
Kanji spelling for uncle, especially when older than one's parent. Also used generically.
はくふ

オジUsage7%

はくふ

しゅくふ