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In both family units you often find special intimate names being used between members according to their role.

You have intimate familial names like 'mama' and 'papa' for parents, and words like 'honey' for children(as sons and daughters don't play distinct enough roles to warrant different names).

What are the Japanese equivalents to these fairly common English familially intimate names?

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  • mother -- ママ, お[母]{かあ}さん, 母さん, 母ちゃん, お[袋]{ふくろ}, etc.
  • father -- パパ, お[父]{とう}さん, 父さん, 父ちゃん, [親父]{おやじ}, etc.
  • elder sister -- お[姉]{ねえ}ちゃん, 姉ちゃん, 姉さん, [姉貴]{あねき}, etc.
  • elder brother -- お[兄]{にい}ちゃん, 兄ちゃん, 兄さん, [兄貴]{あにき}, etc.
  • elder daughter -- お姉ちゃん, 姉ちゃん (but not 姉貴)
  • elder son -- お兄ちゃん, 兄ちゃん (but not 兄貴)
  • wife -- お[前]{まえ} (maybe old-fashioned?); often ママ, お母さん etc. when you have kids (but not お袋)
  • husband -- あなた, あんた (maybe old-fashioned?); often パパ, お父さん etc. when you have kids (but not 親父)
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I think no familiarly intimate names for a child. Japanese often call their baby いい子 or かわい子ちゃん, it may be that. But usually it's a bit discourtesy to mistake a boy as girl or the opposite one in Japan therefore you should confirm which the child is before you call the child.

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