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. Use 弟 (otōto) specifically for a younger brother. For an older brother, the term used depends on whether you are talking about your own brother to someone else or addressing him directly.
Which one should you use?
兄 (ani) and its variations like お兄さん (oniisan) specifically refer to an older brother, whereas 弟 (otōto) refers to a younger brother. While 兄 refers to your own older brother in a humble context, お兄さん is used for someone else's older brother or when addressing your own. The loanword ブラザー (burazā) is a colloquial or ironic way to say 'brother', often mimicking English-style slang.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
When speaking to someone outside your family about your own older brother, use the humble form 兄 (ani). To address your own older brother directly or to speak of someone else's older brother, use the honorific お兄さん (oniisan). For a very casual and affectionate way to address or refer to an older brother, use 兄ちゃん (niichan), which can also be written in hiragana as あにちゃん. For extremely high levels of politeness or formality, you can use お兄様 (oniisama). Finally, ブラザー (burazā) is used colloquially, humorously or ironically.
How do you pronounce it?
ani
Did you know?
- In many Japanese families, children might call an older brother お兄さん (oniisan) even if they are not actually related, using it as a polite way to address a young man.
- The word for older brother, 兄 (ani), may have originally been a phrase meaning 'my eldest sibling', derived from the Old Japanese first-person pronoun 'a'.
- The word お兄様 is an extreme form of politeness that is rarely heard in daily modern speech and is more common in historical dramas or formal literature.
Examples in context
- 太郎の弟だよ。He's Taro's younger brother.This sentence uses 弟 to show a relationship to Taro.Tatoeba #10012748 by small_snow, translation #460850 by FeuDRenais
- 弟見なかった？Did you see my younger brother?This sentence uses 弟 to ask about a younger brother.Tatoeba #10023271 by small_snow, translation #10023115 by Cabo
- トムは義弟よ。Tom is my brother-in-law.This sentence uses 弟 to identify a brother-in-law.Tatoeba #10721062 by small_snow, translation #7734510 by CK
- 私の兄はとても優しいです。My brother is very kind.
- 兄と一緒にスポーツをするのが好きです。I like playing sports with my brother.
- 弟は頭がいいです。My brother is smart.
- 弟と遊ぶのが楽しいです。It's fun playing with my brother.
- 602 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are discussing family history in a formal setting.
- 大翔 Hiroto私の兄は武士でした。Watashi no ani wa bushi deshita.My brother was a samurai.
- 陽葵 Himariそれは素晴らしいですね。Sore wa subarashii desu ne.That is wonderful.
- 大翔 Hiroto兄の教えを今も大切にしています。Ani no oshie o ima mo taisetsu ni shite imasu.I still cherish my brother's teachings.
- 陽葵 Himari立派な方だったのでしょう。Rippa na kata datta no deshou.He must have been a great man.
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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 兄, 兄ちゃん, 弟, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
