Teach Me Japanese ~ #1

Hey there! Want to learn a little Japanese??

While I can assure you I'm no expert, and there's also no way you can learn Japanese from just reading a blog (or is there...?), I'll showcase some words every now and then so you can learn their meaning.

TODAY'S WORD IS...

お姉さん

also 姉さん

How to read it: Oneesan or Neesan (oh-neh-san; neh-san. Pronounce the o as in "old" and the e as in "web")

Meaning: "big sister".

But be careful!! The "o" in "oneesan" is actually an honorific. Which means, you're speaking highly of the thing or person you are adding this "o" to.

Because of that, you should just call your sister "neesan", to show closeness.

"Oneesan" might be used to refer to: another person's big sister; or, any girl older than you, from ages 18 to 35.

"Oneesan" is also used to refer to the employees in stores. For example, while shopping in a clothing store, you may call the employee that helps you "Oneesan".

Hope it helped! Please stay tuned every week for a new word.

Disclaimer: I am but a beginner in Japanese, even though I studied for three years. So please do not take this as a "listen to me because I am fluent" type of post! XD