兄けい妹まい

also: きょうだい

け

い

ま

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

older brother and younger sister

Specifically refers to a sibling pair consisting of an older brother and a younger sister. Not used for other sibling combinations.

彼かれらは兄けい妹まいで、兄あには大だい学がく生せい、妹いもうとは高こう校こう生せいです。
They are an older brother and younger sister; the brother is a university student and the sister is a high school student.
兄けい妹まいで一いっ緒しょに買かい物ものに行いった。
The older brother and younger sister went shopping together.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と〈人ひと〉は兄けい妹まいだA and B are siblings (older brother and younger sister)
健けんと由ゆ美みは兄けい妹まいだ。
Ken and Yumi are siblings (he's the older brother, she's the younger sister).
兄けい妹まいで〈動どう詞し〉to do something together as brother and sister
兄けい妹まいで小ちいさな店みせを経けい営えいしている。
The brother and sister run a small shop together.

Kanji

兄elder brother, big brother
妹younger sister

Related words

兄きょう弟だいN5
兄弟 is the general, unmarked word for 'siblings' or 'brothers', while 兄妹 specifically means an older brother paired with a younger sister.

Don't confuse with

姉し弟てい
姉弟 is the reverse pairing—older sister and younger brother—so it's easy to mix up with 兄妹, which is older brother and younger sister.
姉し妹まいN3
姉妹 means 'sisters' (both female), whereas 兄妹 always refers to a mixed brother-sister pair with the brother older.
弟てい妹まい
兄妹 means an older brother and younger sister, while 弟妹 means a younger brother and younger sister, so learners often mix up which sibling is older.

Counted with

組くみN3
Used when referring to the pair as a set; there is no standard counter for this exact kinship term.

Written forms

兄妹
- けいまい
  Standard kanji spelling for 'older brother and younger sister'. The reading きょうだい is a gikun/jukujikun reading.
- きょうだい
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
  Gikun (meaning-based) reading. Used in some contexts, but けいまい is the standard reading for this kanji compound.
きょうだい
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun

Etymology

Compound of 兄 (older brother) and 妹 (younger sister). The reading けいまい is the standard on'yomi reading. The reading きょうだい is a jukujikun (special kanji reading) based on the meaning of 'siblings'.