Happy National Brothers' Day!

Do you know how to say "brother" in Japanese? There are a few different ways!

兄
(あに) This kanji means "older brother."

お兄さん
(おにいさん) This is a polite name you can call your older brother. To make it more affectionate, swap out the "さん" and use "ちゃん" instead.

Sandy might call Stan "お兄ちゃん."

Even though they're twins, Stan is the eldest.

弟
(おとうと) This kanji means "younger brother."

Baby Bananya is Bananya's 弟.

兄弟
(きゃうだい) This word means "brothers," but it also means "siblings." You can use it when you're talking about your brothers, or your brothers AND sisters.

Do you notice anything special about the word 兄弟? It uses both the kanji for "older brother" and the kanji for "younger brother!"

Makoto, Ren, and Ran are 兄弟.
Isn't Makoto the coolest big brother?

There you have it! Now, go hug your brothers and impress them with your newfound knowledge.

またね!
-Kitty