Japanese symbol for “sisters”
姉妹
しまい
Romaji: shimai
sisters
In Japanese, sisters is 姉妹, read しまい (shimai).
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 sisters
Written forms: 姉妹. Readings: しまい、きょうだい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sisters”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 女兄弟 | おんなきょうだい onnakyoudai | sisters; female siblings |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 姉さん | ねえさん neesan | older sister; elder sister |
| 義姉 | ぎし gishi | sister-in-law (spouse's older sister or older brother's wife) |
| 姉ちゃん | ねえちゃん neechan | (one's) older sister; (one's) elder sister |
| 従姉妹 | いとこ itoko | cousin (female) |
| 実姉 | じっし jisshi | biological older sister; real elder sister |
| 義妹 | ぎまい gimai | sister-in-law (spouse's younger sister or younger brother's wife) |
| 弟妹 | ていまい teimai | younger brother and sister |
| 実妹 | じつまい jitsumai | biological younger sister |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sisters”.
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.