{"id":4814,"date":"2022-06-20T17:54:02","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T17:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=4814"},"modified":"2022-06-20T17:54:02","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T17:54:02","slug":"onii-chan-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/onii-chan-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Onii Chan \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did someone just call you their \u201conii chan<\/em>\u201d online? Maybe you\u2019re watching a manga, and young girls use it when flirting with older guys? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201conii chan<\/em>\u201d translates from Japanese to \u201colder brother<\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s a way of addressing someone senior to you in your family or the social hierarchy in Japan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOnii chan<\/em>\u201d is a term of endearment between a brother and sister, and it\u2019s a common word in Japanese language and family communications. A sister would use it when addressing their older brother, similar to a pet name for her sibling.<\/p>\n

However, the rise in the anime category \u201chentai<\/em>\u201d saw the term develop a darker meaning. The phrase also carries the sexual meaning of \u201cdaddy<\/em>\u201d in Japanese, especially in the hentai category. The expression usually occurs between a young female character and an older man in his twenties or thirties they find attractive.<\/p>\n

The phrase can refer to a \u201csugar daddy<\/em>\u201d or an older admirer that buys affection from a younger lover by showering her with gifts and attention.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cI was watching onii chan hentai online last night. There is some twisted stuff in that genre. Check it out if you want to have a laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a Japanese girl calls you her onii chan, it means that she\u2019s calling you daddy. I guess even Japanese girls are into that whole father-love incest thing cause it\u2019s a big category in anime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are thousands of onii chan memes online, and almost all of them are about hentai characters and sexual intimacy with older guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be careful with onii chan hentai. We could classify a lot of it as child porn, and much of it is disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you like watching onii chan hentai, that\u2019s on you. Personally, I prefer watching adult relationships, not stuff with kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are my onii chan. I love you so much. I don\u2019t care if anyone thinks you being ten years older than me is a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKim-san is my onii chan, and I haven\u2019t seen him in years since he moved to the States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201conii chan\u201d originates from the Japanese language. While it has thousands of years of use in Japanese, it\u2019s only recently become a word understood and used in the western world. Language experts believe \u201conii chan\u201d appeared in English in the late 1980s and 1990s with the rise of anime content and the \u201chentai\u201d category.<\/p>\n

When people use the saying followed by \u201csan,\u201d they are using the phrase in the context of their older brother. The first appearance of the expression in the Urban Dictionary was in 2007. The term spread around internet message boards and forums like 4Chan and Reddit, becoming the caption on many hentai memes.<\/p>\n