Japanese Vocabulary List: raising children

Today I’m going to provide a vocabulary list for a topic that I discuss on a daily basis on Japanese: child upbringing. I’ll be focusing on words that are useful for babies  through toddlers (roughly ages 0-4), but some of the terms can be used for any age.

• 子育て (kosodate): child upbringing
• 育てる (sodateru): to raise (a child, plant, etc.) [transitive]
• 育つ (sodatsu): to grow up (a child, plant, etc.) [intransitive]
• 面倒を見る (mendou wo miru): to watch or take care of (a child, etc.)
• すくすく (suku suku): growing up healthy (ex: すくすく育ってる）
• のびのび (nobi nobi): similar meaning to “suku suku”
• 成長する (seichou suru): to grow (mentally, physically, etc.)
• イヤイヤ期 (iya iya ki): a period where children want to rebel and don’t listen to what their parents say (often used for 2-3 year olds)
• 魔の２歳 (ma no ni sai): a period where children are very hard to deal with, similar to “iya iya ki”
• ~児 (~ji): suffix for children (i.e.: ２歳児 = “2 year old child”)
• 反抗期 (hankouki): rebellious age (usually used for older kids, like teenagers)
• 反抗する（hankou suru): to rebel, resist
• お漏らし (omorashi): bed wetting
• おむつ (omutsu): diaper
• おむつ がぱんぱん(omutsu ga pan pan): diaper is full (=dirty)
• おしゃぶり (oshaburi): pacifier [not to be confused with “oshaberi”)
• 言うことをきく (iu koto wo kiku): to listen/follow what is said
• あばれる (abareru): to go crazy (jump around, etc.)
• 野放し (nobanashi): the practice of letting a child by her/himself without interfering too much
• 叱る (shikaru): to scold, or reprimand
• 怒鳴る (donaru): to yell
• 読み聞かせする (yomikikase suru): to read a book out loud (to a child)
• 絵本 (ehon): picture book
• おもちゃ (omocha): toy
• 寝かしつける (nekashitsukeru): to put a child to bed
• 寝かす (nekasu): similar to “nekashitsukeru”.
• いやがる (iyagaru): to act/look like you dislike something
• 喜ぶ (yorokobu): to enjoy or appreciate something
• 乱暴する (ranbou suru): to act violently
• 優しくする (yasashiku suru): to be nice to something or someone
• 仲良くする (nakayoku suru): to be get along with friends
• 公園 (kouen): (nature) park  (usually has swings and a slide, etc.)
• うんち・うんこ (unchi / unko): poo
• おしっこ (oshikko): pee
• 抱っこする (dakko suru): to hug
• シュウシュウする: (shuu shuu suru): to make a shushing sound (i.e. to try and quiet a baby)
• ぐっすり眠る (gussuri nemuru): to sleep soundly
• おんぶ (onbu): carrying someone (usually a child) on your back, with their arms around your neck or shoulders
• 肩車 (kataguruma): carrying someone on your shoulders, with their legs around your neck
• はいはいする (haihai suru): crawl on all fours
• 四つん這いする (yotsunbai suru): similar to “haihai suru”
• 友達 (tomodachi): “friend”, but can also be used to refer to young people whom you don’t know or haven’t met before
• 拗ねる（suneru): to pout
• ぐずる (guzuru): to fret or complain about something
• 歯ぐずり (haguzuri): teething (complaining due to pain and itching as a result of baby teeth coming in)
• 首がすわる (kubi ga suwaru): refers to the act or stage of development when a baby can support his or her own neck and move it freely (literally: “The neck sits”).
• 遊ぶ (asobu): to play
• 喋る (shaberu): to talk
• 泣き止む (nakiyamu): to stop crying
• ひゃっくり (hakkuri): hickups
• げっぷ (geppu): burp
• 食べさせる (tabesaseru): to feed (a baby, etc.)
• 歯を磨かせる (ha wo migakaseru): to brush someone’s teeth
• 母乳 (bo’nyuu): breast milk
• 授乳 (ju’nyuu): breast feed
• 卒乳 (sotsunyuu): to stop breast feeding (permanently)
• おむつはずれ (omutsuhazure): to stop using diapers (permanently)
• 予防接種　(yobou sesshu): vaccine
• 昼寝 (hirune): nap
• お熱 (onetsu): fever (can be used without the “お”)
• 体温計 (taionkei): thermometer
• 風邪をひく(kaze wo hiku): to catch a cold
• 薬 (kusuri): medicine
• 〜ごっこ (~gokko): pretend play (ex: お医者さんごっこ = “play doctor”)
• 割礼（katsurei): circumcision

“Baby talk” words (not recommended to use use but just for reference)

• あんよ (anyo): the leg or the act of walking
• ねんねする (nen’ne suru): to sleep
• めめ (me me): eye(s)
• てて(te te): hand(s)
• イタイイタイする (itai itai suru): to hurt or get hurt