Someone just told me their mother speaks Japanese and she says oniichan
doesn’t just mean big brother but also big sister. I thought oneechan is the
word for big sister though. He also said it’s really common in Japan to use it
that way, is that true?
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2020-11-29T00:34:25.007
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2020-11-29T00:44:40.873
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question
word-usage
Is oniichan also used to refer to a big sister?
No, that's not true. お兄ちゃん (oniichan) never refers to a female person.

But in rough slang, it can sometimes refer to a young **male** person in
general, just like some English speakers use "brother" or "bro" to refer to a
stranger. Maybe he has remembered this fact incorrectly? Likewise, お姉ちゃん
(oneechan) is sometimes used to address a young female person in general. See:
[How impolite is it to call a waitress
お姉{ねえ}さん?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/17886/5010)
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2020-11-29T00:44:40.873
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2020-11-29T00:44:40.873
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answer