あに
animy older brother
Japanese has no single word for brother. You say あに (ani) for your own older brother and おとうと (otōto) for your younger brother. For another person's older brother, use おにいさん (oniisan).
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| あに | ani | my older brother |
| おとうと | otōto | my younger brother |
| おにいさん | oniisan | someone else's older brother |
When talking about your own family to outsiders, use あに (ani) and おとうと (otōto). When speaking about someone else's family, add polite forms such as おにいさん (oniisan).
Which one should you use?
Younger siblings call their older brother おにいちゃん (oniichan) or おにいさん (oniisan) directly, and older siblings usually call a younger brother by name.
Did you know?
- Japanese distinguishes older and younger siblings in everyday words, which English does not.
Examples in context
- あには先生です。ani wa sensei desu.My older brother is a teacher.
- おとうとは高校生です。otōto wa kōkōsei desu.My younger brother is a high school student.
Example conversation
Yui introduces her family to her Teacher.
- Teacherきょうだいはいますか。kyōdai wa imasu ka.Do you have siblings?
- Yuiはい、あにとおとうとがいます。hai, ani to otōto ga imasu.Yes, I have an older brother and a younger brother.
- Teacherおにいさんは何歳ですか。oniisan wa nansai desu ka.How old is your older brother?
