おば

noun

aunt

1. aunt

One's parent's sister, or the wife of one's parent's sibling.

おばに会(あ)う。

To meet my aunt.

おばは東京(とうきょう)に住(す)んでいます。

My aunt lives in Tokyo.

おばがケーキを作(つく)ってくれました。

My aunt made a cake for me.

先月(せんげつ)おばの家(いえ)に行(い)きました。とても楽(たの)しかったです。

I went to my aunt's house last month. It was a lot of fun.

おばは母(はは)の姉(あね)で、子供(こども)の時(とき)から私(わたし)のことをかわいがってくれました。

My aunt is my mother's older sister, and she has been fond of me since I was a child.

When written in kanji, there are two forms: 伯母(おば) for an aunt older than your parent, and 叔母(おば) for an aunt younger than your parent. In casual writing, おば is often written in hiragana. When referring to someone else's aunt politely, use おばさん.

Note: おばさん can also be used generally for middle-aged women.

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:19 · Revised 2026.2.21 11:56

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