いもうと
imōtoeveryday, own sister
In hiragana, "little sister" is いもうと (imōto). When you talk about another person's younger sister you say いもうとさん (imōtosan).
Meaning: younger sister (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| いもうと | imōto | everyday, own sister |
| いもうとさん | imōtosan | polite, someone else's sister |
Which one should you use?
Japanese has separate words for younger and older siblings. いもうと (imōto) means a younger sister, while an older sister is あね (ane). A younger brother is おとうと (otōto).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use plain いもうと (imōto) about your own sister. Never add さん (san) to your own family when speaking to others, and keep it for people outside the family.
How do you pronounce it?
Hold the う in いもうと for two beats, so it sounds like "ee-mo-o-to".
Did you know?
- Many families call a younger sister by her given name, so いもうと (imōto) is more often used when describing her to others.
Examples in context
- いもうとは じゅうにさいです。Imōto wa jūnisai desu.My little sister is twelve.
- いもうとさんは なんさいですか。Imōtosan wa nansai desu ka.How old is your younger sister?
- いもうとと いっしょに かいものに いきました。Imōto to issho ni kaimono ni ikimashita.I went shopping with my little sister.
Example conversation
Taro talks about his family with his coworker Mr. Ito.
- Mr. Itoきょうだいは いますか。Kyōdai wa imasu ka.Do you have siblings?
- Taroはい、いもうとが ひとりいます。Hai, imōto ga hitori imasu.Yes, I have one younger sister.
- Mr. Itoいくつですか。Ikutsu desu ka.How old is she?
