VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

息子

むすこ

hepburn musuko

son

Part of speech · noun

Pattern visualization

子child

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Numbers3 strokes · 2.0s

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Examples

息子は中学生になりました。
My son has become a middle schooler.
息子さんはサッカーが上手ですね。
Your son is good at soccer.

Collocations

息子 (musuko, my son)息子さん (musukosan, your son — polite)長男 (chounan, eldest son)一人息子 (hitorimusuko, only son)末息子 (suemusuko, youngest son)

Mnemonic

息子 musuko — "my son". Kanji: 息 (breath) + 子 (child) = "child of my breath" → offspring. The same 息 alone appears in 休息 (kyuusoku, rest). Note the asymmetry: 娘 (daughter) uses the soft 良 (good); 息子 (son) uses the breath metaphor 息. This uneven kanji choice for paired family terms is a quirk of Japanese vocabulary worth noticing.

Quick check

Standalone meaning of 息 (soku/iki)?