Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兄 | ani | [a̠ɲ̟i] (narrow) [ke̞ː] (narrow) |
|
| お兄さん | oniisan | [o̞ɲ̟iːsã̠ɴ] (narrow) | honorific |
| 兄ちゃん | nīchan | [ɲ̟iːt͡ɕã̠ɴ] (narrow) [ã̠ɲ̟t͡ɕã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
|
| 弟 | otōto | [o̞to̞ːto̞] (narrow) | |
| ブラザー | burazā | [bɯ̟ɾa̠za̠ː] (narrow) | colloquial, humorous, ironic |
Japanese distinguishes between older and younger brothers using different words. To refer to an older brother, you may use 兄, お兄さん or 兄ちゃん. To refer to a younger brother, use 弟. In specific contexts, the English loanword ブラザー is used as colloquial, humorous or ironic slang.
Which one should you use?
The word for an older brother is 兄, while the word for a younger brother is 弟. While older brothers often receive honorific variations like お兄さん or 兄ちゃん, the term for a younger brother, 弟, typically does not take honorific prefixes like 'o-' when referring to one's own sibling in a standard context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
兄 is an archaic term for an older brother. お兄さん is a formal and polite way to address an older brother or to refer to someone else's older brother, showing respect and affection. 兄ちゃん is an informal, casual and affectionate way to address or refer to an older brother, often characterized by a mix of cuteness and playfulness. ブラザー is used as colloquial slang and can be humorous or ironic.
How do you pronounce it?
ani
Did you know?
- While you use different words for older and younger brothers, you can also address a stranger's older brother as お兄さん to get their attention, similar to calling someone 'young man' or 'sir' in English.
- In many Japanese families, children do not use a person's actual name, but instead address their older brother by his title, such as お兄さん.
- The word for younger brother, 弟, is actually a combination of the word for 'younger sibling' and the word for 'person'.
Examples in context
- 太郎の弟だよ。He's Taro's younger brother.This sentence is useful for identifying a younger brother using 弟.Tatoeba #10012748 by small_snow, translation #460850 by FeuDRenais
- 弟見なかった？Did you see my younger brother?This sentence is useful for asking about a younger brother using 弟.Tatoeba #10023271 by small_snow, translation #10023115 by Cabo
- トムは義弟よ。Tom is my brother-in-law.This sentence is useful for explaining a brother-in-law relationship using 弟.Tatoeba #10721062 by small_snow, translation #7734510 by CK
- 602 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking about their family tree in a historical drama style.
- 陽葵 Himariあなたは私の兄ですか。Anata wa watashi no ani desu ka.Are you my brother?
- 陽太 Yota左様だ、私がそなたの兄である。Sayou da, watashi ga sonata no ani dearu.That is correct, I am your brother.
- 陽葵 Himariずっと会いたかったのです。Zutto aitakatta no desu.I have wanted to meet you for a long time.
- 陽太 Yota私も同じ気持ちだ。Watashi mo onaji kimochi da.I feel the same way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries 兄, お兄さん, 兄ちゃん, 弟, ブラザー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
