Japanese word

兄

Pronunciation

Romajiani

Meaning

  • nounolder brother

Example

兄は毎日学校へ行きます。ani wa mai nichi gak kō e i ki ma su

My older brother goes to school every day.

Illustration for 兄 (older brother)

More examples

わたしの兄は本を読みます。wa ta shi no ani wa hon o yo mi ma su

My older brother reads books.

兄は毎朝六時に起きます。ani wa mai asa roku ji ni o ki ma su

My older brother gets up at six every morning.

Core concept

Refers to a male sibling whose birth comes earlier than that of another sibling in the family.

Common phrases

  • 兄の部屋ani no heya

    older brother's room

  • 兄と話すani to hana su

    talk to my older brother

  • 兄に電話するani ni den wa su ru

    call my older brother

Similar words

お兄さんoniisan: A polite term for an older brother, often used when referring to someone else's brother.
兄貴aniki: A familiar term for an older brother, sometimes also used for a respected older male.

Definition in Japanese

自分より先に生まれた男のきょうだい。ji bun yo ri saki ni u ma re ta otoko no kyō da i

Word origin

兄 (ani) is a native Japanese kinship word inherited from Old Japanese; the kanji 兄 was later used to write its meaning of "older brother."

Usage tips

  • The polite form お兄さん (oniisan) commonly refers to someone else's older brother, while it can also be used for an unfamiliar young man.

Opposites

Word lists with this word