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How to say 'Younger brother' in Japanese | 弟

Wondering how to say 'Younger brother' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Younger brother is 'Otouto', written as 弟 in Japanese.'Younger brother' in hiragana is おとうと.

    word

    Meaning

    Younger brother

    Reading

    おとうと

    otouto

    Kanji

    Younger brother

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '弟 (おとうと)' means 'younger brother'. It specifically refers to a male sibling who is younger than the speaker. This term is commonly used in family contexts and is neutral in tone. For example: my younger brother is kind「私の弟は優しい」(わたしのおとうとはやさしい). I have a younger brother「私は弟がいます」(わたしはおとうとがいます). Note that '弟' is used only for younger brothers; older brothers are referred to as '兄 (あに)'. The term does not change based on the speaker's gender.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    2

    Frequency

    1593

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Younger brother

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 弟 as well.

  • word

    兄弟

    Meaning

    Siblings

  • word

    弟子

    Meaning

    Disciple

Learn the Word

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What does 'Otouto' (弟) mean?

'Otouto' means 'Younger brother' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.