Meet 兄 in everyday words: its meaning here is older brother. Learn each word with its own reading.

The idea

兄 has 5 strokes. Follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 兄 is read あに and means one’s older brother; お兄さん is read おにいさん and means someone’s older brother. 兄弟 is read きょうだい: siblings.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
兄あにone’s older brother
お兄さんおにいさんsomeone’s older brother
兄弟きょうだいsiblings

Examples

  • 兄あには学生がくせいです。My older brother is a student.
  • 兄あには毎朝まいあさコーヒーを飲のみます。My older brother drinks coffee every morning.
  • 兄あには東京とうきょうに住すんでいます。My older brother lives in Tokyo.
  • 兄あにと公園こうえんへ行いきます。I go to the park with my older brother.
  • 兄あには魚さかなが好すきです。My older brother likes fish.
  • お兄にいさんは学生がくせいですか。Is your older brother a student?
  • 私わたしには兄弟きょうだいが二人ふたりいます。I have two siblings.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Compare 兄 with 只; notice their different parts and strokes rather than guessing from the overall shape. When speaking to someone outside your family, use 兄 for your own older brother; お兄さん is a respectful way to refer to someone else’s older brother. 兄弟 can refer to siblings of any gender, not only brothers. You can also address your own older brother as お兄さん.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 兄 in hiragana.

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    あに

    兄 is read あに; it means one’s older brother. Remember the reading with the whole word.

  2. Write the reading of お兄さん in hiragana.

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    おにいさん

    お兄さん is read おにいさん; it means someone’s older brother. Remember the reading with the whole word.

  3. Write きょうだい in kanji for “siblings”.

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    兄弟

    兄弟 is written with 兄 and read きょうだい; it means siblings.

Use it today

Write 兄 three times using the linked stroke order. Cover the table, read 兄 and お兄さん, and make a sentence with one of them.