兄きょう弟だい

きょ

う

だ

い

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

noun

siblings; brothers and sisters

General term for one's own siblings or siblings in general. Can refer to any combination of brothers and sisters. Often used with honorific prefix ご when referring to others' siblings.

Written forms

兄きょう弟だいUsage94%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used for siblings regardless of gender, though the kanji literally mean 'older brother' and 'younger brother'.
きょうだいUsage6%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when gender-neutrality is emphasized or in informal contexts.

Kanji

兄elder brother, big brother
弟younger brother, faithful service to elders

Similar words

姉し妹まい
Specifically means 'sisters'. 兄弟 is broader and can include brothers and sisters, while 姉妹 refers only to female siblings.
ご兄きょう弟だい
Honorific form of 兄弟, used when referring to someone else's siblings politely.

Etymology

Compound of 兄 (older brother) and 弟 (younger brother). Historically referred only to male siblings, but modern usage has expanded to include all siblings regardless of gender.