兄妹

Chinese

elder brother younger sister
trad. (兄妹) 兄 妹
simp. #(兄妹) 兄 妹

Pronunciation


Noun

兄妹

  1. older brother and younger sister

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
兄 妹
けい
Grade: 2
まい
Grade: 2
kan’on goon

From 兄 (kei, “elder brother”, 漢音 (kan'on)) +‎ 妹 (“younger sister”, 呉音 (goon)), from Middle Chinese 兄妹 (MC xjwaeng mwojH). Compare 兄弟 (kyōdai, “elder brother and younger brother”), 姉弟 (shitei, “elder sister and younger brother”).

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) けーまい [kèémáí] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA(key): [ke̞ːma̠i]

Noun

兄(けい)妹(まい) • (keimai) 

  1. elder brother and younger sister

See also

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
兄 妹
きょう
Grade: 2
だい
Grade: 2
goon jukujikun

Noun

兄(きょう)妹(だい) • (kyōdai) ←きやうだい (kyaudai)?

  1. Rare spelling of 兄弟 (“siblings”, literally “elder brother and younger brother”).
    • 1992 June 15, Mitsuru Adachi, “遠(とお)くて近(ちか)い大(おお)江(え)戸(ど)夢物語(ファンタジー)の巻(まき) [A Near-and-Far Ōedo Fantasy]”, in [虹色](NIJI-IRO)[とうがらし](TOHGARASHI) [Rainbow-Colored Peppers], volume 11 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 181:
      しかしあなたもずいぶんアッサリした性(せい)格(かく)ね。いつこの間(あいだ)まで七(しち)味(み)七(しち)味(み)って騒(さわ)いでたくせに。
      兄(きょう)妹(だい)ではいた仕(し)方(かた)あるまい。
      Shikashi anata mo zuibun assari shita seikaku ne. Itsu kono aida made Shichimi Shichimi tte sawaideta kuse ni.
      Kyōdai de wa ita shikata aru mai.
      You're sure a laid-back one though. Just the other day you were all Shichimi this, Shichimi that.
      It can't be helped now that he's my brother.
    • 1996 November 1 [1992 August 17], CLAMP, “嚆(こう)矢(し)Ⅰ(いち) [Overture I]”, in [X](エックス) ([X](エックス)) [X], 25th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, →ISBN, page 15:
      あの二人(ふたり)は町(ちょう)内(ない)自(じ)慢(まん)の兄(きょう)妹(だい)だよ
      Ano futari wa chōnai jiman no kyōdai da yo
      Those two are the sibling goal of this town
Usage notes

Generally used to specifically refer to an elder brother and a younger sister, while utilizing the more common kyōdai reading to express the siblings sense.

References

  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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