いとこ

• 読み: いとこ
• ローマ字: itoko
• 漢字の分解: 従 (jū) — follow; 兄 (kei/ani) — older brother; 弟 (tei/otōto) — younger brother
• 発音: /i.to.ko/

意味

Cousin (male). A child of one's uncle or aunt, specifically a male cousin.

A noun for a male cousin, formally written as 従兄弟 in kanji. In everyday use, いとこ is almost always written in hiragana regardless of the cousin's gender. The kanji 従兄弟 specifies a male cousin, while 従姉妹 specifies a female cousin, but this distinction is rarely used in modern writing. Often simply translated as 'cousin' since English does not distinguish by gender.

例文

1. いとこは東京の大学に通っている。
2. 夏休みにいとこの家に遊びに行った。
3. 私のいとこは三人いて、みんな男だ。

使い方ガイド

場面: family, daily conversation, introductions

トーン: casual

起源と歴史

The kanji 従兄弟 is composed of 従 (follow, accompany), 兄 (older brother), and 弟 (younger brother), reflecting a relative of the same generation through a parental sibling.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal