お姉さん

Japanese

Kanji in this term
姉
ねえ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
お姐さん (rare)

Etymology

お +‎ 姉 +‎ さん

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) おね​えさん [ònéꜜèsàǹ] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [o̞ne̞ːsã̠ɴ]

Noun

お姉(ねえ)さん • (onē-san) 

1. (honorific) elder sister: used as term of address to one's own older sister, and to refer to other people's older sisters
   • 1994 January 20 [1988 December 17], Akira Oze, “第４話　兄の命 [Chapter 4: Brother’s Life]”, in 夏子の酒 [Natsuko’s Saké], 14th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tōkyō: Kōdansha, →ISBN, page 93:

     義姉(ねえ)さん
     夏(なっ)ちゃん
     なんで義姉(ねえ)さんが働(はたら)いてるの？休(やす)んでればいいのに
     いいのこのほうが気(き)がまぎれるし……手(て)が足(た)りないの

     Nē-san
     Natchan
     Nan de nē-san ga hataraiteru no? Yasundere ba ii no nī
     I no kono hō ga ki ga magireru shi…… Te ga tarinai no

     Sister!
     Natchan!
     Why are you working, sister? You should be resting.
     I needed a distraction… Besides, there aren’t enough hands around here.

2. young woman, young lady

Synonyms

• 姉(あね) (ane): (humble): Used to refer to one's own older sister when talking to someone else.
• お姉(ねえ)ちゃん (onē-chan): (term of endearment): elder sister, big sis
• 姉(ねえ)さん (nē-san)