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お兄さん (oniisan) Japanese meaning: older brother | Kotomora

お兄にいさん

お

に

い

さ

ん

Common word›JLPTN5›

Meanings

1

older brother; elder brother

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)›

Honorific term for one's own or someone else's older brother. Used both to address and to refer to an older brother politely.

See also: 兄さん

お兄にいさんは大だい学がく生せいですか。

Is your older brother a university student?

お兄にいさん、ちょっと手伝てつだってくれる？

Hey big brother, can you help me a bit?

2

young man; buddy; fella

familiar language

Familiar, often vocative term for a young man whose name one does not know, similar to 'buddy' or 'young man'. Used in casual, friendly address.

See also: 兄さん

そこのお兄にいさん、ちょっと道みちを教おしえてくれませんか。
Hey there, young man, could you tell me the way?
あのお兄にいさん、いつも元げん気きだね。
That fella is always so energetic, isn't he.

Usage patterns

お兄にいさんに似にるto resemble one's older brother
彼かれはお兄にいさんによく似にている。
He looks a lot like his older brother.
すみません、お兄にいさんused to politely call out to a young man whose name you don't know
すみません、お兄にいさん、この道みちでいいですか。
Excuse me, sir, is this the right way?

Kanji

兄elder brother, big brother

Related words

兄にいさんN1sense 1
兄さん is a casual, family-register term for an older brother, while お兄さん adds the polite prefix お and is used more broadly and respectfully.

Opposites

弟おとうとさん sense 1
お兄さん refers politely to someone's older brother, while 弟さん refers politely to someone's younger brother.
お姉ねえさんN5
お兄さん is the male counterpart of お姉さん, used for an older brother instead of an older sister.

Politeness

兄あにplainN5sense 1
兄 is the plain, humble term used when referring to one's own older brother in front of others, while お兄さん is the polite, honorific form used to address or refer to older brothers respectfully.
兄にいさんplainN1
お兄さん is the more polite, standard form of 兄さん, adding the respectful prefix お for formal or polite speech.
兄あに貴きplain
お兄さん is the polite, friendly way to refer to an older brother or young man, whereas 兄貴 is rougher and more familiar in tone.

Counted with

人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).

Word family

義ぎ理りのお兄にいさん
brother-in-law

Etymology

Polite form of 兄 (older brother) with the honorific prefix お and the suffix さん. The kanji 兄 means 'elder brother'.