ChiramiN4 kanji · 5 strokes
兄 means older brother
口 a big mouth · 儿 legs
兄Memory trick
A big mouth (口) on two legs (儿): the older brother who bosses you around.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- elder brother, big brother
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 5
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) あに ani
あに (ani) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
From Chinese (onyomi) ケイ kei
ケイ (kei) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: キョウ kyou
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
兄さん にいさん · niisan
older brother, elder brother
Built from
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
Quick check
What does 兄 mean?
Right: 兄 means older brother.Not quite: 兄 means older brother.In 兄さん (にいさん), what kind of reading does 兄 have?
Right. 兄さん (にいさん, niisan) has a special reading: it belongs to this word, not to 兄 on its own, so you learn it with the word.Not quite. 兄さん (にいさん, niisan) has a special reading: it belongs to this word, not to 兄 on its own, so you learn it with the word.