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道Nihongo Path
姪

姪·niece

On-yomi
テツ
Kun-yomi
めい

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

9 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
姪めいniece
姪っ子めいっこniece (affectionate)
姪御さんめいごさんyour niece (polite)

Example sentences

  1. 姪は今年三歳になった。

    めいはことしさんさいになった。

    My niece turned three this year.

  2. 姪っ子が七五三の写真を送ってくれた。

    めいっこがしちごさんのしゃしんをおくってくれた。

    My little niece sent me her Shichi-Go-San photos.

  3. 結婚式では姪に花を持たせた。

    けっこんしきではめいにはなをもたせた。

    At the wedding we had my niece carry the flowers.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 姪 as てつ — in ordinary Japanese it is めい
  • Mixing up 姪 (niece) and 甥 (nephew)

Memory aid

Picture it

Woman 女 beside 至 'arrive': the girl who arrives in your family through a brother or sister.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 姪 mean?