弟おとうとさん

Meanings

1

younger brother (honorific)

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Polite way to refer to someone else's younger brother. Not used for one's own brother.

弟おとうとさんはおいくつですか。
How old is your younger brother?
弟おとうとさんによろしくお伝つたえください。
Please give my regards to your younger brother.

See all 8 example sentences ›

Kanji

弟younger brother, faithful service to elders

Related words

弟おとうと
Plain form used for one's own younger brother or in casual reference. 弟さん is the honorific version for others' brothers.
妹いもうとさん
Honorific for someone else's younger sister, parallel to 弟さん.

Opposites

お兄にいさんN5
お兄さん refers politely to someone's older brother, while 弟さん refers politely to someone's younger brother.
兄にいさんN1
弟さん means someone's younger brother, the direct opposite of 兄さん, which means someone's older brother.

Politeness

弟おとうとplainN5
弟 refers to one's own younger brother, while 弟さん is the polite form used to talk about someone else's younger brother.

Etymology

Compound of 弟 (おとうと, 'younger brother') and the honorific suffix さん.