Oneechan is the Japanese word for ‘big sis’, explained

What does “oneechan” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “oneechan” often to mean ‘big sis’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “oneechan” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “oneechan”
• What does “oneechan” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “big sis” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “oneechan”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “oneechan”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “oneechan”.

• oneechan – お姉ちゃん (おねえちゃん) : a noun meaning ‘big sis’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Normally, this noun is used by a younger sibling to call or refer to their elder sister in Japanese. This is widely considered less formal, so suitable for casual conversations. It’s also worth mentioning here that Japanese native speakers occasionally use this noun to refer to young women in general.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its grammatical components in detail, one by one.

What does “oneechan” literally mean in Japanese?

“Oneechan” consists of the following three components:

• o – お : a prefix making its following word polite.
• nee – 姉 (ねえ) : a noun which can mean an ‘elder sister’ in Japanese.
• chan – ちゃん : a suffix often used after someone’s name to call them friendly. This can be considered as the casual version of the most famous honorific suffix, “san”.

These three components tell us that “oneechan” is literally the polite but still friendly expression for ‘elder sister’ in Japanese. And actually, it is. In Japan, younger siblings call their elder sisters with showing their respect and friendliness.

When we meet new Japanese words, we should check their grammatical components in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, grammatical components tell us a lot about the meanings of the words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “oneechan” through the detailed check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “oneechan” together with its grammatical components. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “big sis” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after the clause to indicate what the little sister said.
• imouto – 妹 (いもうと) : a noun meaning ‘little sister’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “imouto” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make the object in the sentence.
• yon – 呼ん (よん) : one conjugation of the verb, “yobu”, which means ‘to call’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• da – だ : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “yon” to make its past tense form, “yon da”.

This is a typical usage of “oneechan”. Again, but it is normally used by a younger sibling to call their elder sister. Honestly, I’m not one hundred percent sure if “big sis” is a good translation for “oneechan”, but their usages could be similar.

Example #2: another usage of “oneechan”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
• to – と : a case particle used to say with whom someone does something. In the example, this is used after “oneechan” to say with whom the speaker went shopping.
• kaimono – 買い物 (かいもの) : a noun meaning ‘shopping’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to indicate the purpose of an action someone takes. In the example, this is used after “kaimono” to say for what purpose the speaker went out.
• it – 行っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku“, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.

This is another typical usage of “oneechan”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “to”, to say “with my big sis” in Japanese.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “oneechan” in detail based on its grammatical components. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• oneechan – お姉ちゃん (おねえちゃん) : a noun meaning ‘big sis’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Normally, this noun is used by a younger sibling to call or refer to their elder sister in Japanese. This is widely considered less formal, so suitable for casual conversations. It’s also worth mentioning here that Japanese native speakers occasionally use this noun to refer to young women in general. Grammatically, this is the polite but still friendly expression for ‘elder sister’ in Japanese. And actually, it is. In Japan, younger siblings call their elder sisters with showing their respect and friendliness.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.