妹

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 妹は私より三歳下です。▶ —
   My younger sister is three years younger than me.
2. 妹さんも来ますか。▶ —
   Is your younger sister coming too?

Collocations

Mnemonic

いもうと — 妹, Sino-Japanese. The pair to 姉 ane. The kanji 妹 paints its meaning in its very parts — 女 (woman) + 未 (not yet) = 'a woman not yet grown' = a younger sister. 未 also appears in 未来 mirai (future, 'time not yet come'). The sense of 'not yet' flows through both people and time. When 姉 and 妹 combine, the reading flips to onyomi ── 姉妹 shimai (sisters). The Korean jamae shares the same logic. Distance — your own younger sister: 妹 imouto. someone else's: 妹さん imoutosan. Derivative: 義妹 gimai (younger sister-in-law). In conversation, bare 妹 sounds blunt; 妹さん or "name + さん" feels more natural.

Quick check

1. Best intuition from the kanji parts of 妹?

   • 女 (woman) + 未 (not yet) = not-yet-grown woman
   • 女 + 木 (tree) = woman near tree
   • 女 + 米 (rice) = rice-bearing woman
   • 女 + 末 (end) = woman at the end