従じゅう妹まい

い

と

こ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

younger female cousin

Specifically a female cousin who is younger than the speaker. Compare 従姉 (older female cousin), 従弟 (younger male cousin), and 従兄 (older male cousin).

Written forms

従妹Usage100%
- いとこ
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
  Standard kanji spelling for a younger female cousin. The reading いとこ is a jukujikun (special kanji reading).
- じゅうまい
じゅうまい

Kanji

従accompany, obey, submit to
妹younger sister

Similar words

従姉いとこ
Refers to an older female cousin, while 従妹 is a younger female cousin.
従弟いとこ
Refers to a younger male cousin, while 従妹 is a younger female cousin.
従兄いとこ
Refers to an older male cousin, while 従妹 is a younger female cousin.

Etymology

The kanji 従 means 'follow' or 'obey', and 妹 means 'younger sister', together indicating a younger female relative. The reading いとこ is a jukujikun, a native Japanese word assigned to these kanji.