甥（おい、oi）
- nephew

The Japanese word 甥 (甥, おい) means "nephew." It refers to the son of one's sibling.

⚫︎ 私には甥が二人います。 Translation: I have two nephews. ⚫︎ 甥の結婚式に出席しました。 Translation: I attended my nephew's wedding.

⚫︎ You use 甥 to refer to the son of your brother or sister. ⚫︎ This word is used in everyday conversation and formal settings. ⚫︎ When speaking, it's generally understood whom you are referring to based on context. You wouldn't typically have to specify that someone is your brother's son; the listener usually understands it from the relationship you describe.

⚫︎ The word is written as 甥 in kanji, おい in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no other common ways to write this word, nor are there variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ There are no direct synonyms for "nephew" that work the same way in Japanese. The most suitable translation of "nephew" is 甥.

⚫︎ There is no direct antonym, since there isn't a single word in Japanese for "nephew" or "niece." One would use 姪 (めい, "niece") as the opposite relation.

兄の甥はもう高校生です。 ・Translation: My brother's nephew is already a high school student. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 甥 to describe the son of one's older brother.

甥はとても可愛いです。 ・Translation: My nephew is very cute. ・Explanation: This sentence simply states that the speaker finds their nephew adorable.

The kanji 甥 is composed of two parts: the left side, 男 (おとこ), which means "man," and the right side, 生 (う or せい), which can mean "birth" or "life." Therefore, the etymology suggests the meaning as “male born from one's sibling or relative.”