Japanese symbol for “siblings”
兄弟
きょうだい
Romaji: kyoudai
brothers and sisters; siblings
In Japanese, siblings is 兄弟, read きょうだい (kyoudai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n brothers and sisters; siblings
- n half-siblings; step-siblings; siblings by marriage or adoption
- n mate; friend
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “siblings”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ご兄弟 | ごきょうだい gokyoudai | siblings; brothers and sisters |
| 兄弟姉妹 | きょうだいしまい kyoudaishimai | brothers and sisters; siblings |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 兄さん | にいさん niisan | older brother; elder brother |
| 兄貴 | あにき aniki | elder brother; big brother |
| 兄ちゃん | にいちゃん niichan | (one's) older brother |
| 義兄 | ぎけい gikei | brother-in-law (spouse's older brother or older sister's husband) |
| 弟子 | でし deshi | pupil; disciple; adherent |
| 義弟 | ぎてい gitei | brother-in-law (spouse's younger brother or younger sister's husband) |
| 師弟 | してい shitei | teacher and student |
| 弟妹 | ていまい teimai | younger brother and sister |
See also: Chinese symbol for “siblings”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.