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What to refer to friends mom? 2019/6/18 12:24
Here is sort of a random question but, what to refer to my close friend's mum as? Last name is Kozu. Should I just call her Kozu-san? Refering to her as "okaasan" definitely feels wrong to me lol, as I reserve the name for my own mom. But idk if it's wrong or right to use first name in this situation.
by Austin (guest)  

Re: What to refer to friends mom? 2019/6/18 15:51
ask your close friend.
I would just use last name
by justmyday rate this post as useful

Re: What to refer to friends mom? 2019/6/18 22:11
Call her obasan おばさん, which means auntie. Make sure it does not sound like obaasan おばあさん, which would mean grandma.
by A5 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: What to refer to friends mom? 2019/6/18 23:58
Assuming you are an adult, and not a low-teen or younger, if I were you I'd just get away without calling her at all. That's probably the most common way in Japanese language/culture.

I also often refer to them as "okaasama". What I mean is that if I am not talking with her, and suddenly need to speak to her, I'd just call out "sumimasen". But if I need to say the "you" term, I'd use "okaasama" such as in "AA-chan wa okashi yorimo kudamono ga suki yo ne. Okaasama wa dochira ga osukidesuka?"

If you're much younger, perhaps you can say "AA-chan no okaasama".

Meanwhile, "obasan" is tricky, because those who aren't used to be called "obasan" (for example, those who are more used to being called "obasama") might have a bad impression about it.

Of course, if I were talking in English, I'd just call them "Ms. (family name)".

Hope it helps.
by Uco rate this post as useful

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