What does 兄 mean in Japanese?
兄 means older brother. Japanese, unlike English, has separate kanji for older and younger siblings, and 兄 is the one for a big brother.
As with parents, there is a humble word and a polite word. 兄 (ani) refers to your own older brother when speaking to others; お兄さん (oniisan) addresses him and refers politely to someone else’s. The most important compound is 兄弟 (kyoudai, siblings / brothers), which pairs 兄 with 弟 (younger brother).
Reading
On’yomi: ケイ (kei), キョウ (kyou)
Kun’yomi: あに (ani)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 兄 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | older brother |
| Stroke Count | 5 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
兄 (ani) is the humble word for your own older brother: 兄は大学生です (my older brother is a university student). お兄さん (oniisan) is the polite, friendly word to address him or to refer to another person’s older brother; young people also use it casually to call out to a young man. 兄弟 (kyoudai) means siblings collectively, and often specifically brothers. Formal words like 実兄 (biological older brother) and 義兄 (older brother-in-law) appear on documents. The order-based idea also shows in 長兄 (the eldest brother).
Common Words
- 兄（あに / ani） — (my) older brother
- お兄さん（おにいさん / oniisan） — older brother (polite / address form)
- 兄弟（きょうだい / kyoudai） — siblings, brothers
- 実兄（じっけい / jikkei） — one’s biological older brother
- 義兄（ぎけい / gikei） — older brother-in-law
- 長兄（ちょうけい / choukei） — eldest brother
Example Sentences
-
兄は私より三歳年上です。
あにはわたしよりさんさいとしうえです。 / Ani wa watashi yori sansai toshiue desu.
My older brother is three years older than me.
-
お兄さんは何をしていますか。
おにいさんはなにをしていますか。 / Oniisan wa nani o shite imasu ka.
What does your older brother do?
-
私は三人兄弟です。
わたしはさんにんきょうだいです。 / Watashi wa sannin kyoudai desu.
There are three siblings in my family.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Match 兄 with 弟: 兄 is the elder, 弟 the younger. English ‘brother’ hides this distinction, so train yourself to choose based on age. Together they form 兄弟 (kyoudai), the everyday word for siblings.
Use the humble-polite rule again: your own older brother is 兄 (ani) to outsiders but お兄さん at home; another person’s older brother is always お兄さん.
The reading is irregular between forms: あに on its own, にい inside お兄さん, and ケイ in formal compounds like 義兄. Learn お兄さん as a fixed word and pick up ケイ only in the compound words where it appears.
Summary
兄 means older brother: 兄 (ani) humbly for your own, お兄さん (oniisan) to address him or refer to someone else’s. Pair it with 弟 to form 兄弟 (siblings), and note the formal reading ケイ in 義兄.