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妹
Younger Sister
いもうと (imouto)
JLPT N4
Interesting Fact
Thanks to anime and manga, "imouto (妹)" may be one of the most widely recognized Japanese family words in the world. Many fans learn what it means long before they learn their first kanji. It's a reminder that language doesn't always spread through classrooms—sometimes it spreads through stories.
Memory Trick
The left side is 女 (woman). The right side is 未, which looks like a tree that hasn't fully grown yet. a young woman who still has some growing to do.
Readings
Onyomi: マイ (mai)
Kunyomi: いもうと (imouto)
Example Words
妹
いもうと (imouto)
Younger sister
姉妹
しまい (shimai)
Sisters
義妹
ぎまい (gimai)
Younger sister-in-law
妹さん
いもうとさん (imoutosan)
Someone else's younger sister
Example Sentence
妹は音楽が好きです。
いもうと は おんがく が すき です。
imouto wa ongaku ga suki desu
My younger sister likes music.