親戚（しんせき、shinseki）
- relatives

The Japanese word 親戚 親戚 means "relatives," "family members," or "kinfolk." It refers to people who are connected to you by blood or marriage, but not necessarily immediate family. This includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and in-laws. The term encompasses a broader range of familial relationships than just your parents and siblings.

⚫︎ 親戚がたくさん集まりました。 Translation: Many relatives gathered. ⚫︎ お正月に親戚の家を訪問します。 Translation: I visit my relatives' houses during New Year's. ⚫︎ 彼は親戚の結婚式に出席しました。 Translation: He attended a relative's wedding.

You can use 親戚 in various contexts when discussing family relationships. It’s useful for talking about gatherings, events, or simply describing who someone is related to. Use it when you want to refer to your extended family, rather than just your immediate family.

親戚 is typically written in kanji. The reading is しんせき in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard and does not change.

⚫︎ 親族: 親族 (しんぞく) - This is a more formal and general term for relatives. ⚫︎ 一族: 一族 (いちぞく) - This refers to a family, especially a large extended family, or a clan. ⚫︎ 縁者: 縁者 (えんじゃ) - This is a less common and slightly older term for relatives.

There is no direct antonym for 親戚. Instead, it would be words that describe non-family members such as: ⚫︎ 他人: 他人 (たにん) - Others/Strangers ⚫︎ 赤の他人: あかのたにん - A complete stranger (literally "someone of a red other person," meaning someone unrelated).

今度の週末は、親戚みんなでバーベキューをします。 ・Translation: We're having a barbecue with all our relatives this coming weekend. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a planned gathering with extended family members.

私は親戚の子供たちと遊ぶのが大好きです。 ・Translation: I love playing with my relatives' children. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses enjoyment of spending time with cousins or younger family members.

The word 親戚 is composed of two kanji: 親 (しん), meaning "parent," "relative," or "close" and 戚 (せき), which can mean "relatives" or "close relatives." Together, the kanji create the meaning of "relatives" or "family members."