How to Say Older Brother in Japanese: 兄 and お兄さん
Older brother in Japanese is 兄 (ani) when talking about your own brother to someone else, and お兄さん (onīsan) when addressing him or talking about someone else's brother. Affectionately, it's お兄ちゃん (onīchan). Younger brother is 弟 (otōto), a completely different word.
In Japanese, you can't just say 'brother': the language requires specifying whether he's older or younger, and whose brother he is — yours or the listener's. Because of this, one English word expands into four Japanese ones, and choosing between them is a choice of distance.
How to Say 'Older Brother' in Japanese
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 兄あに | ani | My older brotherhumbly, about one's own — to someone else |
| お兄さんおにいさん | onīsan | Older brother (yours or in address) |
| お兄ちゃんおにいちゃん | onīchan | Big brotheraffectionately, as younger sisters call him |
| 弟おとうと | otōto | Younger brother |
| 姉あね | ane | My older sister |
| 妹いもうと | imōto | Younger sister |
| 兄弟きょうだい | kyōdai | Brothers and sisters in general |
Why You Speak Differently About Your Own Brother vs. Someone Else's
This is a basic rule of Japanese politeness: you humble what's yours and elevate what's others'. So to a stranger you'll say 兄 (ani) — 'my older brother', and about their brother — お兄さん. At home, however, you address your own brother as お兄ちゃん: inside the family a different logic applies, where closeness matters more than modesty.
'Onii-chan' from Anime
- お兄ちゃん — a younger sister's address to her brother; hence the word's popularity in anime.
- 兄貴 (aniki) — 'big bro', a rough but respectful term, typical of yakuza and male groups.
- お兄さん can also be said to an unfamiliar young man — like 'young man' in English, but more often in shops and markets.
- Addressing an older brother by name in a traditional family is considered impolite: you're supposed to call him by his role.
Say the Words Aloud
FAQ
How do you say older brother in Japanese?
兄 (ani) — about your own brother to someone else, お兄さん (onīsan) — in address and about someone else's brother, お兄ちゃん (onīchan) — affectionately.
And how do you say younger brother?
弟 (otōto). Japanese always distinguishes seniority: 兄 is older, 弟 is younger, and they are different words, not forms of the same one.
Why do you speak differently about your own and someone else's brother?
You humble what's yours and elevate what's others' — a basic rule of politeness. Hence the pairs: 兄 / お兄さん, 姉 / お姉さん, 母 / お母さん.
What does 'aniki' mean?
兄貴 — 'big bro': a rough but respectful address to an older comrade, typical of male groups and crime stories.
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