What is the meaning and reading of the kanji "兄"?

The kanji "兄" belongs to JLPT N4 and means "Older brother". Its Onyomi is "ケイ (kei), キョウ (kyō)" and Kunyomi is "あに (ani), おにいさん (onīsan)".

JLPT N4

兄

Older brother

Q: Is there a memory mnemonic for "兄"?

Yes! Radical breakdown: "口 (mouth) + 儿 (legs, person, standing)". Mnemonic Story: "Your *older brother* (兄) is always standing tall (儿) with his *mouth* (口) open, either telling you what to do or bragging about himself. He's such a bossy, chatty *older brother*!"

Onyomi

ケイ (kei), キョウ (kyō)

Kunyomi

あに (ani), おにいさん (onīsan)

🧠 Memory Mnemonic

🔍 Radical Breakdown

口 (mouth) + 儿 (legs, person, standing)

📖 Mnemonic Story

Your *older brother* (兄) is always standing tall (儿) with his *mouth* (口) open, either telling you what to do or bragging about himself. He's such a bossy, chatty *older brother*!

💡 Quick Hint: Mouthy older person

Essential N4 Vocabulary

兄

あに

Older brother

兄貴

あにき

Big brother (colloquial)

兄弟

きょうだい

Siblings

Kanji Practice Quiz

Verify your memory for "兄"

私の＿＿＿＿＿は大学生です。

🎉 正解 / Correct!

解説: 兄の訓読みは「あに」です。
English: The kunyomi for older brother is 'ani'.

🦅

Want to master all JLPT N4 Kanji?

Project Eagle offers thousands of gamified, AI-powered JLPT practice problems completely for free. Master Kanji, grammar, and listening with adaptive spacing!

Recommended Cross-Study

Vocab Lesson 世界 View Lesson ➔ Grammar Lesson 〜ために View Lesson ➔ Practice Quiz 行かれる View Lesson ➔