妹
[imo̞]
The Japanese word for "little sister" is 妹.
妹 is the most common and neutral way to say "little sister" in Japanese. While it is the standard term, you would typically address your own little sister by her name in informal conversation rather than calling her 妹.
Which one should you use?
妹 is used to refer to your own little sister. If you are speaking about someone else's little sister, it is more polite to use the form 妹さん. Additionally, you can add the suffix '-chan' to create 妹ちゃん, which creates an affectionate and friendly tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
妹 is a noun and does not change its form whether you are referring to one little sister or multiple little sisters.
Did you know?
- The word imōto is actually a combination of two words: imo, meaning a close female companion, and hito, meaning person.
Examples in context
- 私の妹は四歳です。My little sister is 4 years old.This sentence is useful for stating the age of your 妹.Tatoeba #10979890 by small_snow, translation #13061414 by terrywallwork
- 父と母と妹がいます。My family has my father, my mother, and my little sister.This sentence is useful for listing family members, including your 妹.Tatoeba #84830 by bunbuku, translation #603395 by Shoyren
- 妹に優しくしなさい。Be nice to your little sister.This sentence is useful for giving advice regarding how to treat a 妹.Tatoeba #10205324 by bunbuku, translation #10205325 by DJ_Saidez
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about their families at school.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮くんには妹がいるの？Ren-kun ni wa imouto ga iru no?Ren, do you have a little sister?
- 蓮 Renうん、妹が一人いるよ。Un, imouto ga hitori iru yo.Yeah, I have one little sister.
- 美咲 Misakiへえ、何歳なの？Hee, nansai nano?Oh, how old is she?
- 蓮 Renまだ五歳だよ。Mada gosai da yo.She is only five years old.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 妹, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 妹, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
