おにいさん
onīsanpolite
Older brother in hiragana is おにいさん (onīsan) when you talk to him or about someone else's brother. When you speak about your own older brother to others, use あに (ani). A child may say おにいちゃん (onīchan).
Meaning: older brother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| おにいさん | onīsan | polite |
| あに | ani | own brother |
| おにいちゃん | onīchan | affectionate |
Younger siblings often call the older brother おにいちゃん or にいさん (niisan) instead of his name.
Which one should you use?
Japanese uses different words for your own family and for another person's family. あに is humble and used with outsiders, while おにいさん is respectful.
How do you pronounce it?
Hold the long ī in おにいさん, as in "oh-nee-sahn".
Did you know?
- An older sister follows the same pattern, with あね (ane) for your own and おねえさん (onēsan) for someone else's.
Examples in context
- あにはだいがくせいです。Ani wa daigakusei desu.My older brother is a university student.
Example conversation
Little Aoi asks her older brother Riku to play.
- Aoiおにいちゃん、あそぼう。Onīchan, asobō.Big brother, let's play.
- Rikuしゅくだいがおわったらね。Shukudai ga owattara ne.After I finish my homework.
- Aoiうん、まってる。Un, matteru.OK, I will wait.
