Sections
妹Imouto: what it means in anime
いもうと · imouto
younger sister
Imouto means "little sister" or "younger sister". It is the word Tanjiro uses for Nezuko in Demon Slayer, whose whole story is about saving his 妹.
Updated November 2, 2026
Where you hear it
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妹を治す？ 敵を見つける？Can a weakling who can't take the initiative in such a situation heal his sister?!
Demon SlayerEpisode 1 · 22 lines in episodes 1–3 -
おう さすが自慢の妹 え？ ちょっと…That's my little sister! I'm so proud, you little genius, you!
No Game No LifeEpisode 2 · 13 lines in episodes 1–3 -
唯の妹か…You can have your sister tutor you.
K-On!Episode 3 · 6 lines in episodes 1–3
From the Japanese subtitles · how we count
Usage and nuance
Demon Slayer asks whether a weak boy can 妹を治す, cure his sister. In No Game No Life Sora brags おうさすが自慢の妹, "that's my sister, I'm so proud". K-On! has Yui's responsible younger sister Ui.
Japanese uses two sets of family words: 妹 for your own sister, 妹さん for someone else's. Older siblings call a younger sister by her name; the younger one calls up with お兄ちゃん or お姉ちゃん.
Imouto is also an anime genre label, from titles like 俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない (Oreimo). The pair word is 弟 (otouto), "little brother".
Hear 妹 in Demon Slayer22 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account