1.
older brother (affectionate, casual)
An affectionate and casual way to address or refer to one's older brother.
お兄ちゃん、遊ぼう。
Big bro, let's play.
お兄ちゃんは今大学に通っている。
My big brother is going to college now.
お兄ちゃんがいると心強い。
Having a big brother is reassuring.
2.
young man; big brother (to a stranger)
Used by children to address an unfamiliar young man in a friendly way.
お兄ちゃん、風船とって。
Mister, get my balloon for me.
知らない子にお兄ちゃんと呼ばれた。
A child I didn't know called me 'big brother.'
公園で小さい子に「お兄ちゃん、一緒にサッカーしよう」と言われた。
A little kid at the park said to me, 'Hey mister, let's play soccer together.'
The most casual and affectionate way to say "older brother." Primarily used by younger siblings, especially children. The お prefix and ちゃん suffix together create a warm, familiar tone.
FORMALITY LEVELS:
- お兄ちゃん: casual, affectionate (children and close family)
- お兄さん: standard polite form
- 兄: humble form used when speaking about one's own brother to outsiders
- 兄貴: informal, used among young men; sometimes used toward non-family
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- お兄ちゃんっ子: a child who adores their older brother
- お兄ちゃん大好き: I love my big brother
SIMILAR WORDS:
- お兄さん: older brother (polite) — more formal than お兄ちゃん
- 兄: older brother (humble) — used in formal speech about one's own brother
- お姉ちゃん: older sister (affectionate) — the female counterpart