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 can use 兄, お兄さん, 兄ちゃん or 兄貴. For a younger brother, the word is 弟. In certain contexts, such as humorous or ironic situations, the katakana loanword ブラザー is also used colloquially.
Which one should you use?
The terms are differentiated by age: 兄 and its variations refer to an older brother, while 弟 refers to a younger brother. When speaking to someone outside your family about your own older brother, the humble form 兄 is used. Conversely, when speaking to someone outside your family about your own younger brother, the form 弟 is used. For someone else's older brother, you use お兄さん and for someone else's younger brother, you use 弟さん.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There is a wide range of formality levels for an older brother. お兄様 is extremely polite and respectful, often found in historical or high-class contexts. お兄さん is a polite way to address or refer to someone else's older brother. For casual or affectionate situations, 兄ちゃん or お兄ちゃん can be used, with the latter being an endearing term typically used by younger siblings within a family. 兄貴 is a more casual way to say brother, and ブラザー is used in a colloquial, humorous or ironic manner. The form 兄 is an archaic term.
How do you pronounce it?
ani
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese, the term お兄さん can be used to politely address a young man who is a complete stranger, regardless of whether he is actually someone's brother.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, the term 兄貴 is often used by subordinates to address a senior figure or 'big brother' figure in a gang or delinquent group.
- The term for older brother, 兄, may have evolved from a combination of an ancient first-person pronoun and the word for 'eldest sibling'.
Examples in context
- 太郎の弟だよ。He's Taro's younger brother.This sentence shows how to use 弟 to identify a younger brother.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 the whereabouts of 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 demonstrates the use of 弟 to describe a brother-in-law.Tatoeba #10721062 by small_snow, translation #7734510 by CK
- 私の兄は医者です。My brother is a doctor.
- これは私の弟です。This is my younger brother.
- おはよう、兄貴！Good morning, brother!
- お兄ちゃん、ありがとう！Thank you, big brother!
- 田中さんのお兄さんはとても優しいです。Tanaka's older brother is very kind.
- あの弟さんは一流の音楽家です。That younger brother is a top-class musician.
- 602 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are discussing Yui's family history.
- 結衣 Yui昔、私には兄がいました。Mukashi, watashi ni wa ani ga imashita.Long ago, I had an older brother.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだったんですね。Sou datta n desu ne.I see.
- 結衣 Yui兄との思い出は大切です。Ani to no omoide wa taisetsu desu.The memories of my brother are precious.
- 大翔 Hiroto素敵な話ですね。Suteki na hanashi desu ne.That is a lovely story.
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.
