VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

兄

あに

hepburn ani

older brother (own family)

Part of speech · noun

Pattern visualization

兄elder brother

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Numbers5 strokes · 3.4s

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Examples

兄は会社員です。
My older brother is an office worker.
お兄さんはいますか。
Do you have an older brother?

Collocations

兄 (ani, my older brother — humble)お兄さん (oniisan, your/his older brother — honorific)長兄 (choukei, eldest brother)兄弟 (kyoudai, siblings)兄貴 (aniki, slangy "big bro")

Mnemonic

兄 ani — "my older brother", humble form used when talking to outsiders. The honorific form for someone else's older brother is お兄さん (oniisan). Same kanji onyomi きょう (kyou) → 兄弟 (kyoudai, "siblings"). Japanese, like Korean, lexically marks both age order and in-group vs out-group family — the ani/oniisan split mirrors the watashi/anata politeness logic.

Quick check

Polite way to ask "Do you have an older brother?"