兄妹
kyōdai
The English phrase 'brother and sister' is translated into Japanese as 兄妹 (kyōdai).
兄妹 is used to describe a specific pair of siblings consisting of one brother and one sister. It is worth noting that while terms like Oneesan (お姉さん) are used for sisters, they can also mean 'miss' or 'young lady' when addressing someone who is not your actual sister. Additionally, Oniichan (お兄ちゃん) is an affectionate way to say 'older brother' and Oneechan (お姉ちゃん) is an affectionate way to refer to an older sister in casual settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 兄妹 is composed of the characters for older brother (兄) and younger sister (妹).
Which one should you use?
While 兄妹 specifically refers to a brother and sister, the word 兄弟 is more commonly used to refer to siblings in general, regardless of gender.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Okinawan, the word Nechan means 'sister'.
How do you pronounce it?
kyōdai
Did you know?
- The character for older brother 兄 is a pictograph that originally depicted a person with a large mouth, suggesting the role of a speaker or leader in the family.
- The reading of the characters in 兄妹 can change depending on the context, sometimes being read as 'shimai' instead of 'keimai'.
- Japanese has a distinct word 姉弟 specifically for a pair consisting of an older sister and a younger brother.
Examples in context
- トムとメアリーは兄妹です。Tom and Mary are brother and sister.This sentence is useful for showing how to identify siblings using 兄妹.Tatoeba #8549262 by small_snow, translation #1029931 by CK
- あの二人は兄妹ですか？Ano futari wa kyōdai desu ka?Are those two brother and sister?
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are looking at a photo of Hiroto's family.
- 美咲 Misakiこの写真の女の子は誰？Kono shashin no onnanoko wa dare?Who is the girl in this photo?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕の妹だよ。僕たちは兄妹なんだ。Boku no imōto dayo. Bokutachi wa kyōdai nanda.She's my younger sister. We are a brother and sister.
- 美咲 Misakiそっか。二人とも似てるね。Sokka. Futari tomo niteru ne.I see. You both look alike.
- 大翔 Hirotoよくそう言われるよ。Yoku sō iwareru yo.I'm often told that.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
