The Meaning of imouto [妹] In Japanese

妹
いもうと
Romaji: imouto N5

What does 妹 mean?

Translation and Meaning

younger sister, younger female sibling

Definition

What does 妹 mean? It means your younger sister—a female sibling who is younger than you. In Japanese it is a straightforward noun used to refer to one’s own sister or to describe a younger female relative or figure in various contexts, from family talk to media references.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Younger sister in a family sense: a female child of your parents who is younger than you.
  • Polite reference to someone else’s sister: 妹さん (imouto-san) adds respect when talking about another’s sister.
  • In fiction and media, 妹 often labels a younger sister character or a younger female figure (imouto archetype).

Composition

  • 女 = female, woman; radical left indicating gender
  • 未 = not yet, young; conveys “not grown up”
  • Together they express the concept of a younger female sibling

Usage

Used as a noun to denote a younger sister; in casual family speech you use 妹 or 妹さん, while 妹さん is the polite form when mentioning someone else’s sister; in formal writing you may specify context with kin terms or title as appropriate.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a young girl who has not yet grown up; the left radical denotes femininity while 未 signals not yet, helping you recall that 妹 means younger sister.

Variations

  • 妹さん (imouto-san) — polite form for addressing or referencing someone else’s younger sister
  • 姉 / お姉さん (ane / oneesan) — opposite gender/older sister
  • いもうと (imouto) — standard kana reading used in casual talk

Example Phrases

  • 妹が 今日 学校の 本を 私に 貸してくれた。
    Imōto ga kyō gakkō no hon o watashi ni kashite kureta.
    My younger sister lent me a book from school today.
    Lista:
    • 妹が (Imōto ga) – younger sister
    • 今日 (Kyō) – today
    • 学校の (Gakkō no) – school’s
    • 本を (Hon o) – book
    • 私に (Watashi ni) – to me
    • 貸してくれた (Kashite kureta) – lent to me
    Here, 「妹」 is the subject meaning ‘younger sister’; the particle が marks the subject; 貸してくれた expresses ‘lent (to me)’.
妹