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 |
兄 refers to an older brother, while 弟 refers to a younger brother. You can also use お兄さん to address your own older brother, someone else's older brother or even a young man you do not know.
Which one should you use?
兄 specifically refers to an older brother, whereas 弟 specifically refers to a younger brother. For older brothers, お兄さん is a polite form, while 兄ちゃん is an informal and affectionate way to address or refer to them. The term お兄ちゃん is an informal way to say older brother used by females or people younger than the brother. For younger brothers, 弟ちゃん is an informal way to say younger brother used by people of any gender or close relation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お兄さん is the polite form. 兄ちゃん is an informal and affectionate way to address an older brother. 弟ちゃん is an informal way to refer to a younger brother. The katakana loanword ブラザー is used colloquially, humorously or ironically, often mimicking English-style slang.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking about your own older brother to someone outside your family, you use the humble form 兄 rather than the honorific お兄さん.
How do you pronounce it?
ani
Did you know?
- The word 兄 (ani) may have originated from a combination of an ancient first-person pronoun and a word meaning 'eldest sibling'.
- The loanword ブラザー is rarely used in natural family conversations and is typically used to create a humorous or 'cool' effect.
Examples in context
- 太郎の弟だよ。He's Taro's younger brother.This sentence is useful for identifying Taro's 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 if someone saw 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 identifying a brother-in-law using 弟.Tatoeba #10721062 by small_snow, translation #7734510 by CK
- 兄は頭がいいです。My older brother is smart.
- 兄ちゃんは頭がいいんだよ。My brother is smart, you know.
- 私の弟は医者です。My younger brother is a doctor.
- うちの弟ちゃんが医者になったんだよ。My little brother became a doctor, you know.
- 602 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about their family histories in a formal setting.
- 結衣 Yuiあなたの家に兄はおりますか。Anata no ie ni ani wa orimasu ka.Do you have an older brother in your family?
- 健太 Kentaはい、兄が一人おります。Hai, ani ga hitori orimasu.Yes, I have one older brother.
- 結衣 Yui兄の方はどのような方ですか。Ani no hou wa dono you na kata desu ka.What kind of person is your brother?
- 健太 Kenta兄はとても厳しい人です。Ani wa totemo kibishii hito desu.My brother is a very strict person.
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.
