Japanese

Noun

お兄さん ‎(hiragana おにいさん, romaji onii-san)

1. (honorific) elder brother

   あなたはお兄 (にい)さんがいますか。

   Anata wa onīsan ga imasuka.

   Do you have any elder brothers?

2. you, he, him (a non-aged male stranger)

   お兄 (にい)さんはどこからきましたか。

   Onīsan wa doko kara kimashitaka.

   Where are you from?

Usage notes

• お兄さん is a polite word, mostly used in a talking about a person's elder brother.

Japanese people tend to use 兄 (ani) when referring to their own elder brother. Japanese children tend to use お兄ちゃん (onīchan) or 兄ちゃん (nīchan) when referring to their elder brother.

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Related terms