Mari-chan wa Nana no obasan ni ataru. (Mari is Nana’s aunt.)
Situation 1: Rika is visiting her Aunt Okubo with her baby, Nana. Mrs. Okubo’s daughter, Mariko, is playing with Nana.
里香： 考えてみると、まりちゃんは奈々のおばさん(従伯母)にあたるのね！ かわいいおばちゃんね！
20 mins ago
Family ties: Using 'ni ataru' can help when you want to point out familial relations. | GETTY IMAGES
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUSTAINABLE JAPAN
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS
SUPPLEMENTS BINDER
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.