Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
お父さま、お母さまは、どんな方でいらっしゃったんですか？ — What kind of people were your father and mother? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N2)
You
お父さま、お母さまは、どんな方でいらっしゃったんですか？
おとうさま、おかあさまは、どんなかたでいらっしゃったんですか？
What kind of people were your father and mother?
Romaji: Otou-sama, okaa-sama wa, donna kata de irasshatta n desu ka? / Reply Romaji: Chichi wa kibishikatta keredo, yasashii hito deshita yo. Haha wa itsumo niko-niko shite ite ne.
Reply
父は厳しかったけれど、優しい人でしたよ。母はいつもニコニコしていてね。
ちちはきびしかったけれど、やさしいひとでしたよ。はははいつもニコニコしていてね。
Father was strict but kind. Mother was always smiling.
Gesture & etiquette
Sit at their level, lean forward slightly, hands open on your lap. If they pause for a long time, do not break the silence—they may be picturing a parent's face. Have tissues quietly within reach but don't offer unless they reach for them.
Asking about parents opens deep reminiscence—often the most meaningful conversation a senior can have. 「お父さま」「お母さま」 with 「-sama」 is reverent and warm, suitable for someone's late parents. 「いらっしゃる」 is the respectful 'to be'. Allow long pauses; tears may come, and that's okay—stay present without rushing to comfort.