赤ちゃん弟
akachan otōto
The English phrase "baby brother" is translated into Japanese as 赤ちゃん弟 (akachan otōto).
赤ちゃん弟 is used to describe a male sibling who is an infant. In most contexts, simply saying 弟 is the standard way to refer to a younger brother, regardless of his age, unless the 'baby' status is being specifically emphasized for descriptive purposes.
Which one should you use?
赤ちゃん弟 is used when you want to specifically emphasize that the younger brother is a baby. In contrast, 弟 is the standard term for a younger brother of any age. The term 幼弟 translates to 'youngest brother' and is a formal way to refer to a baby brother.
How do you pronounce it?
akachan otōto
Did you know?
- The word 赤ちゃん meaning 'baby' literally translates to 'red child'. This stems from the historical observation that newborns often have reddish skin.
- In Japanese, the word for 'brother' changes based on whether you are talking about your own family or someone else's. While you call your own brother 弟, you must use the respectful term 弟さん to refer to someone else's younger brother.
- The kanji for 'younger brother' in 弟 is also used in the word for 'disciple' or 'student', implying a relationship of learning or following.
Examples in context
- 東京から帰ってきたら、赤ん坊の弟がまだ泣いていました。When I came back from Tokyo, my baby brother was still crying.
- 幼弟はとてもかわいくて、私は彼をいつも守ってあげたいです。My youngest brother is very cute, and I always want to protect him.
Example conversation
Yui and Daisho are looking at a photo album.
- 結衣 Yuiこの子は誰ですか？Kono ko wa dare desu ka?Who is this child?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕の赤ちゃん弟です。Boku no akachan otōto desu.This is my baby brother.
- 結衣 Yui本当にかわいいですね！Hontō ni kawaii desu ne!He is really cute!
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you.
