Recognize 姉 in 姉 and お姉さん; learn the whole words and use them in everyday sentences.

The idea

姉 has 8 strokes; follow the order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Read 姉 as あね and お姉さん as おねえさん. Learn each reading together with the whole word and its meaning.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
姉あねmy older sister
お姉さんおねえさんolder sister (respectful)
姉妹しまいsisters
姉たちあねたちmy older sisters

Examples

  • 姉あねは東京とうきょうに住すんでいます。My older sister lives in Tokyo.
  • お姉ねえさんはお元気げんきですか。How is your older sister?
  • 姉あねといっしょに料理りょうりします。I cook with my older sister.
  • あの二人ふたりは姉妹しまいです。Those two are sisters.
  • 姉あねたちが今日きょう来きます。My older sisters are coming today.
  • お姉ねえさんと何なにを話はなしましたか。What did you talk about with your older sister?

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

Watch out

When speaking to outsiders, 姉 refers to your own older sister; お姉さん is respectful for someone else’s sister and can address your own. 姉妹 means sisters.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 姉 in hiragana.

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    あね

    姉 is read あね; it means my older sister. Remember the reading with the complete word.

  2. Write the reading of お姉さん in hiragana.

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    おねえさん

    お姉さん is read おねえさん; it means older sister (respectful). Remember the reading with the complete word.

  3. Complete the missing kanji from this lesson: ＿妹（しまい）.

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    姉

    姉 completes 姉妹, read しまい; the complete expression means sisters.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 姉 from memory in stroke order, and read 姉 and お姉さん aloud. Then check their readings and meanings.