妹（いもうと、imouto）
- younger sister

The Japanese word 妹 妹 (いもうと - *imouto*) means "younger sister". It refers to a female sibling who is younger than the speaker or the person being discussed. This word specifically denotes a younger female sibling in a family context.

⚫︎私の妹 Translation: My younger sister. ⚫︎彼女の妹は大学生です。 Translation: Her younger sister is a university student. ⚫︎あの女の子は妹ですか？ Translation: Is that girl your younger sister?

⚫︎You use 妹 妹 to refer to your younger sister, or someone else's younger sister. ⚫︎It is used in everyday conversations, written text, and formal settings. ⚫︎It's important to know the relationship when using this word. You can't use it to describe a friend or an unrelated person. You can only use it for a younger sister.

⚫︎The standard way to write "younger sister" is 妹 妹. ⚫︎It is typically written using the kanji 妹, but it can also be written in hiragana as いもうと. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana for this word.

There are no direct synonyms for "younger sister" in Japanese that have the exact same meaning, but related words can be used in different context: ⚫︎姉 姉 (*ane*) - Older sister ⚫︎姉妹 (*shimai*) - Sisters (can refer to both older and younger)

⚫︎姉 姉 (*ane*) - Older sister ⚫︎兄 (*ani*) - Older brother ⚫︎弟 (*otouto*) - Younger brother

私の妹はとても親切です。 ・Translation: My younger sister is very kind. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 妹 妹 to describe the speaker's younger sister and her personality.

彼の妹はピアノを弾きます。 ・Translation: His younger sister plays the piano. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 妹 妹 to describe his younger sister and her skill.

The kanji 妹 is composed of the following: ⚫︎ 女 (*onna*) - Woman, girl, female ⚫︎ 未 (*mi*) - Not yet, future The etymology reflects the meaning of a young girl or woman, indicating that she has not yet become a full adult, therefore she is a younger sister.