If two Japanese siblings are twins, do they still use the standard "older-then or younger-than" sibling terms for each other (お兄さん/弟, お姉さん/妹), basing it on whichever twin came into existence first, even if it was just by a single second? Or do they do something else?
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1 Answer
Yes, even if the age difference between twins is just a few minutes, the one who is born first will be the 姉/兄, and the other will be the 妹/弟. However, since they are of the same age, they rarely call each other お兄ちゃん, etc.
In the past (more then 100 years ago), there was a tradition to consider the one who was born first as the younger sibling, based on the false assumption that the child who developed first should be located further inside the womb. I guess this tradition might still exist in some old rural areas in Japan.
