妹
imōtoYounger sister
妹は小学生です
My younger sister is an elementary school student
妹がケーキを焼いてくれた
My younger sister baked a cake for me
Commonly used to refer to one's own younger sister. Can also be used to refer to someone else's younger sister in informal contexts.
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💡Pro Tip
Gender-Specific Term
妹 specifically refers to a female younger sister. For a male younger sibling, use '弟' (otōto).
⚡Gold Rule
Family Term
妹 is a family term and should not be used to refer to non-family members unless in very informal contexts.
📖Word Origin
Composed of the kanji '女' (woman) and '妹' (younger sister), though the second character is an ateji (phonetic character used for its sound rather than meaning).
📝Usage Notes
In formal contexts, '妹さん' or '妹ちゃん' may be used to refer to someone else's younger sister. '妹' alone is typically used for one's own younger sister.