How to Say ‘Your older brother’ in Japanese
お兄さん
o nii san
[oh NEE sahn]
💬 Usage Tip: お兄さん (onīsan) is the polite word for someone else's older brother, while your own is plainly 兄 (ani). The same pattern gives 弟さん (otōto-san) for someone else's younger brother.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.
チケットを二枚お願いします。
Two tickets, please.
兄
nii
[NEE]
older brother
Kanji for older brother; read 'nii' in the polite form.
お兄さんは何歳ですか。
How old is your older brother?
さん
san
[sahn]
(polite suffix in お子さん)
Added to 子 to respectfully refer to someone else's child.
お子さんは元気ですか。
Is your child doing well?
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