兄
兄 — Elder brother
elder brother, big brother
On’yomiケイ (kei)
On’yomiキョウ (kyou)
Kun’yomiあに (ani)
Stroke order (5 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 兄
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 兄 | あに ani | older brother; elder brother; brother-in-law (spouse's older brother or older sister's husband) |
| 兄弟 | きょうだい kyoudai | brothers and sisters; siblings; half-siblings |
| お兄さん | おにいさん oniisan | older brother; elder brother; young man |
| 兄さん | にいさん niisan | older brother; elder brother; brother (as older-brother figure in friendly and or work relationship) |
| 兄貴 | あにき aniki | elder brother; one's senior; older man |
| 実兄 | じっけい jikkei | biological older brother |
Study notes
兄 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 5 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 2), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #1219 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
🔊 Tap the big kanji, any reading or any example word to hear it.