妹: the kanji for younger sister
妹 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means younger sister. Below are its readings, 6 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
妹 is written in 8 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
妹 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 6 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
マイ (mai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 姉妹しまい · shimai | sisters |
| 義妹ぎまい · gimai | younger sister-in-law |
| 姉妹都市しまいとし · shimai toshi | sister city |
| 姉妹校しまいこう · shimaikō | sister school |
いもうと (imouto)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 妹いもうと · imōto | younger sister |
| 妹さんいもうとさん · imōtosan | (someone else's) younger sister |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 妹は大学生です。Imōto wa daigakusei desu.My younger sister is a college student.
- 妹さんはおいくつですか。Imōtosan wa o-ikutsu desu ka.How old is your younger sister?
- 私の町と東京の区は姉妹都市です。Watashi no machi to Tōkyō no ku wa shimai toshi desu.My hometown and a Tokyo ward are sister cities.
- 来月、妹が日本に遊びに来ます。Raigetsu, imōto ga Nihon ni asobi ni kimasu.My younger sister is coming to visit Japan next month.
- 妹に日本のお菓子を送りました。Imōto ni Nihon no o-kashi o okurimashita.I sent Japanese snacks to my younger sister.
- うちの大学はアメリカの大学と姉妹校です。Uchi no daigaku wa Amerika no daigaku to shimaikō desu.Our university has a sister school in the United States.
Questions about 妹
How many strokes does 妹 have?
妹 is written in 8 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 妹?
The on readings are mai (マイ). The kun readings are imouto (いもうと).
Why is 姉妹 read shimai?
姉妹 (shimai, sisters) combines 姉 (shi, older sister) and 妹 (mai, younger sister). 姉妹都市 (shimai toshi) means sister cities, and many cities in Japan and the United States are paired this way.
What JLPT level is 妹?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
People and family
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 妹
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.