Page 54 - Japanese Character Writing for Dummies

older brother

Just like the kanji for “father” and “mother,” this kanji is used to refer to one’s “older
brother,” but there are different ways of saying it. When you are talking about someone
KEI, KYŌ/ani else’s older brother, you may say onīsan. This word also refers to young men. But

when you refer to your own older brother, you should say ani. Within the household, you
might call your own brother お兄ちゃん onīchan. Chan is a diminutive.

Radical: ⼉ Number of strokes: five

older sister

As you might have guessed, this kanji also follows the rules that are presented for “father,”
“mother,” and “brother”! お姉さんonēsan refers respectfully to a big sister. Just like onīsan,
it can also indicate a young woman. When you talk about your big sister to someone who
SHI/ane is not a member of your family, you should say 姉ane. The radical on the left of this kanji
means “woman” and appears in many kanji related to women.

Radical: ⼥ Number of strokes: eight

48 Japanese Character Writing For Dummies