おじ

おじ
noun
uncle
informalfamily
See also: おば (aunt), おじさん (polite form)
1. uncle
One's parent's brother, or the husband of one's parent's sibling.
おじに会(あ)う。
To meet my uncle.
おじは大阪(おおさか)に住(す)んでいます。
My uncle lives in Osaka.
おじに会(あ)いに行(い)きました。
I went to see my uncle.
おじは魚釣(さかなつ)りが好(す)きで、よく海(うみ)に行(い)きます。
My uncle likes fishing and often goes to the sea.
おじは父(ちち)の弟(おとうと)で、私(わたし)によく面白(おもしろ)い話(はなし)をしてくれます。
My uncle is my father's younger brother, and he often tells me interesting stories.

Writing

There are two kanji spellings that distinguish the uncle's relative age to your parent:

  • 伯父(おじ): uncle who is older than your parent
  • 叔父(おじ): uncle who is younger than your parent

In casual writing, hiragana おじ is common and avoids the distinction.

Keigo

  • おじさん: the everyday form, used in address, within the family, and for someone else's uncle; also a general term for middle-aged men. Plain おじ is for your own uncle when speaking to outsiders
  • おじさま: very polite/formal

Related words

  • おば: aunt (same older/younger kanji distinction: 伯母(おば) / 叔母(おば))
  • おじいさん: grandfather (not to be confused with おじさん)

Usage

Be careful not to confuse おじさん (uncle/middle-aged man) with おじいさん (grandfather/elderly man). The extra い makes a big difference.

Related Words

Related: おじいさん (grandfather)
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:19 · Revised 2026.10.7 4:24
00500/00979_oji