Quote:
Originally Posted by Amnell
Regarding the usage of onii-chan/onee-chan...
In anime, small children seem to often use this to address a person in their teens or early twenties, i.e. still young enough as to concievably be a sibling. Does this actually happen? Or is it just an anime'ism?
Also, in "Shakugan no Shana", there are two male characters about 16 years old who address an adult friend of theirs as "Marugori-neesan" (roughly, I think, 'Big sister Margery"). It could concievably fit with my first paragraph since the adult character looks to be about in her late twenties--not too big a stretch, I guess, for the sibling thing. Hey, I have a sister that's ten years older than me :P , and a brother that's fourteen older than I (who was just recently in Japan, lucky bastard).
Whatever the case is, the consensus is that Gaijin should not use onee-chan on a Japanese girl? Ever? How about onii-chan? Or using san instead of chan?
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Yes Japanese children do actually say nee-san to (roughly) 16-25 year old girls (nii-san for boys) its not so much big sister/big brother (this is what it literally means) but more as a way for them to connect on a small scale, as most children are taught to be polite to there elders, nee-san is just away of being polite (plus it makes them sound cute ^_^) when children address older people (i.e. 50-100 year olds) obasan/oji-san. (grandma/grandpa) is used.
Teens and young adults using nee/nii-san to a person not that’s not to fair out of there age group is mostly used for someone they know very well. And on occasion has been used as a pick up line to hit on girl. Sometimes you hear older men say this to younger girl. Its very rare and its sounds creepy to these girls. (My girlfriend told me about some old guy that said it to her and it freaked her out.) You don’t really hear girls saying nee-san to hit on guys though.
As for us Gaijin’s we don’t really use it. It sounds really odd coming from a Gaijin if not just plain creepy. I my self have used it for one of my friends/teacher but I had gotten to know her a lot before that. (And was a bit of an inside joke.) For the most part you won’t use it unless you’re talking directly at your older sister/brother. (If they can understand Japanese)