姉
KANJI DETAIL
older sister
On readingし8 strokesN4
Radical 女 · womanStroke order
Loading the stroke order for 姉.
Japanese readings
- On reading
- し
- Kun reading
- あね
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
姉means an older female sibling; its kun-reading isあねand its on-reading isし. - Basic usage:
姉(あね)means an older sister, while姉妹(しまい)means sisters.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- The same word regardless of the speaker's gender
姉means an older sister for both female and male speakers. The Japanese word does not change with the speaker's gender.- The first part of
姉妹isし. Distinguish this compound reading from the standaloneあね.