Looking up...
息子
musuko
son
彼は三人の息子がいます。
He has three sons.
neutral
A male child in relation to his parents.
息子が医者になりました。
My son became a doctor.
Used for one's own male child; for addressing others' sons, use ご子息 (polite).
Pro Tip
Pronunciation Tip
Remember 'musuko' as 'moo-soo-ko' with equal stress on all syllables. The 'u' is short, like in 'put'.
Gold Rule
Son vs. Child
息子 strictly means 'son' (male child). For 'child' in general, use '子供' (kodomo).
Word Origin
From Old Japanese 'musuko' (息子), combining '息' (breath/life) and '子' (child), originally implying 'one's breath' as a cherished child.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in everyday speech. In formal contexts, ご子息 (goshisoku) is preferred when referring to someone else's son.
Word Breakdown
息
breath/life
root子
child
root和英辞典