Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
兄弟. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
兄弟, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
兄弟 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
兄弟 you have here. The definition of the word
兄弟 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
兄弟, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
Dvandva of 兄 (xiōng, “older brother”) + 弟 (dì, “younger brother”)
Pronunciation 1
- Mandarin
- (Standard)
- (Pinyin): xiōngdì
- (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄥ ㄉㄧˋ
- (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xiong1 di4
- (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): щүнди (xündi, I-I)
- Cantonese (Jyutping): hing1 dai6
- Gan (Wiktionary): 'xiang1 ti5 / 'xiung1 ti5
- Hakka
- (Sixian, PFS): hiûng-thi
- (Hailu, HRS): hiungˋ ti˖
- (Meixian, Guangdong): hiung1 ti4
- Jin (Wiktionary): xyng1 di3
- Northern Min (KCR): hiáng-dī
- Eastern Min (BUC): hiăng-diê
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien, POJ): hiaⁿ-tī / hiaⁿ-tǐ / heng-tē / heng-tě
- (Teochew, Peng'im): hian1 di6
- Wu (Northern, Wugniu): 1shion-di6
- Xiang
- (Changsha, Wiktionary): xiong1 di5
- (Hengyang, Wiktionary): xin1 di
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Gan
- Hakka
- Jin
- Northern Min
- Eastern Min
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Tainan, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Singapore)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang)
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
Note:
- hiaⁿ-tī/hiaⁿ-tǐ - vernacular;
- heng-tē/heng-tě - literary.
Rime
|
Character
|
兄
|
弟
|
弟
|
Reading #
|
1/1
|
1/2
|
2/2
|
Initial (聲)
|
曉 (32)
|
定 (7)
|
定 (7)
|
Final (韻)
|
庚 (112)
|
齊 (39)
|
齊 (39)
|
Tone (調)
|
Level (Ø)
|
Rising (X)
|
Departing (H)
|
Openness (開合)
|
Closed
|
Open
|
Open
|
Division (等)
|
III
|
IV
|
IV
|
Fanqie
|
許榮切
|
徒禮切
|
特計切
|
Baxter
|
xjwaeng
|
dejX
|
dejH
|
Reconstructions
|
Zhengzhang Shangfang
|
/hˠwiæŋ/
|
/deiX/
|
/deiH/
|
Pan Wuyun
|
/hʷᵚiaŋ/
|
/deiX/
|
/deiH/
|
Shao Rongfen
|
/xiuaŋ/
|
/dɛiX/
|
/dɛiH/
|
Edwin Pulleyblank
|
/hwiajŋ/
|
/dɛjX/
|
/dɛjH/
|
Li Rong
|
/xiuɐŋ/
|
/deiX/
|
/deiH/
|
Wang Li
|
/xĭwɐŋ/
|
/dieiX/
|
/dieiH/
|
Bernard Karlgren
|
/xi̯wɐŋ/
|
/dʱieiX/
|
/dʱieiH/
|
Expected Mandarin Reflex
|
xiōng
|
dì
|
dì
|
Expected Cantonese Reflex
|
hing1
|
dai6
|
dai6
|
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
|
Character
|
兄
|
弟
|
Reading #
|
1/1
|
1/1
|
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
|
xiōng
|
dì
|
Middle Chinese
|
‹ xjwæng ›
|
‹ dejX ›
|
Old Chinese
|
/*m̥raŋ/
|
/*lˁəjʔ/
|
English
|
elder brother
|
younger brother
|
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
|
Noun
兄弟
- (literal) brother
- (literal) brethren; brothers and sisters; siblings
- (figurative) brothers; close friends; good friends (Classifier: 位 m)
- (neologism, fandom slang, chiefly masculine) term to address fellow/peer-netizens on social media platforms
- gangster
- (Cantonese) groomsman
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
兄弟 (“brothers”)
Variety
|
Location
|
Words
|
Classical Chinese
|
兄弟, 手足, 昆仲, 昆季
|
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
|
兄弟
|
Northeastern Mandarin
|
Beijing
|
哥兒, 弟兄
|
Taiwan
|
兄弟
|
Malaysia
|
兄弟
|
Singapore
|
兄弟
|
Jilu Mandarin
|
Jinan
|
弟兄, 弟兄們, 兄弟
|
Central Plains Mandarin
|
Xi'an
|
弟兄
|
Southwestern Mandarin
|
Chengdu
|
弟兄
|
Wuhan
|
弟兄, 兄弟
|
Jianghuai Mandarin
|
Yangzhou
|
弟兄
|
Hefei
|
弟兄, 兄弟
|
Cantonese
|
Guangzhou
|
兄弟
|
Hong Kong
|
兄弟
|
Taishan
|
兄弟
|
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
|
兄弟
|
Singapore (Guangfu)
|
兄弟
|
Gan
|
Nanchang
|
兄弟
|
Hakka
|
Meixian
|
兄弟
|
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
|
兄弟
|
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
|
兄弟
|
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
|
兄弟
|
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
|
兄弟
|
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
|
兄弟
|
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
|
兄弟
|
Jin
|
Taiyuan
|
弟兄, 兄弟
|
Northern Min
|
Jian'ou
|
兄弟
|
Eastern Min
|
Fuzhou
|
兄弟, 兄弟哥
|
Matsu
|
兄弟哥
|
Southern Min
|
Xiamen
|
兄弟
|
Quanzhou
|
兄弟
|
Jinjiang
|
兄弟哥
|
Zhangzhou
|
兄弟
|
Taipei
|
兄弟
|
New Taipei (Sanxia)
|
兄弟
|
Kaohsiung
|
兄弟
|
Yilan
|
兄弟
|
Changhua (Lukang)
|
兄弟
|
Taichung
|
兄弟仔
|
Tainan
|
兄弟
|
Hsinchu
|
兄弟仔
|
Kinmen
|
兄弟
|
Penghu (Magong)
|
兄弟
|
Penang (Hokkien)
|
兄弟
|
Singapore (Hokkien)
|
兄弟
|
Manila (Hokkien)
|
兄弟, 兄弟仔
|
Chaozhou
|
兄弟
|
Shantou
|
兄弟
|
Haifeng
|
兄弟
|
Singapore (Teochew)
|
兄弟
|
Wenchang
|
兄弟
|
Singapore (Hainanese)
|
兄弟
|
Wu
|
Suzhou
|
弟兄
|
Wenzhou
|
兄弟
|
Xiang
|
Changsha
|
弟兄, 兄弟
|
Shuangfeng
|
弟兄, 兄弟
|
Hengyang
|
兄弟
|
- (groomsman): 伴郎 (bànláng)
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “brother”): 姐妹 (jiěmèi)
Derived terms
Descendants
Pronunciation 2
Noun
兄弟
- (Mandarin, Gan, Jin, dialectal Wu, colloquial) younger brother
- (colloquial) my brother; bro (A term of address for a close friend of similar age or younger)
兄弟,我今天請客。 [MSC, trad.]
兄弟,我今天请客。 [MSC, simp.]- Xiōngdì, wǒ jīntiān qǐngkè.
- My brother, it's my treat today.
兄弟,我今仔日請人。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
兄弟,我今仔日请人。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]- Hiaⁿ-tī, góa kin-á-ji̍t chhiáⁿ-lâng. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
- My brother, it's my treat today.
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
弟弟 (“younger brother”)
Variety
|
Location
|
Words
|
Classical Chinese
|
弟
|
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
|
弟弟
|
Northeastern Mandarin
|
Beijing
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Taiwan
|
弟弟
|
Harbin
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Malaysia
|
弟弟
|
Singapore
|
弟弟
|
Jilu Mandarin
|
Jinan
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Jiaoliao Mandarin
|
Yantai (Muping)
|
兄兒, 兄弟
|
Central Plains Mandarin
|
Luoyang
|
兄弟
|
Wanrong
|
兄弟 male speaker, 弟子 female speaker
|
Xi'an
|
兄弟
|
Xining
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Xuzhou
|
弟弟, 兄弟
|
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
|
兄弟
|
Lanyin Mandarin
|
Yinchuan
|
兄弟
|
Ürümqi
|
弟弟, 兄弟, 富康子
|
Southwestern Mandarin
|
Chengdu
|
弟娃兒, 兄弟, 弟弟
|
Wuhan
|
弟弟, 兄弟
|
Guiyang
|
弟, 兄弟, 弟弟 childish
|
Liuzhou
|
弟, 阿弟, 老弟
|
Jianghuai Mandarin
|
Nanjing
|
弟弟, 兄弟
|
Yangzhou
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Nantong
|
弟子
|
Hefei
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Cantonese
|
Guangzhou
|
細佬, 弟弟
|
Hong Kong
|
細佬, 弟弟
|
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)
|
細佬
|
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)
|
細佬
|
Hong Kong (Ting Kok)
|
細佬
|
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)
|
阿弟
|
Macau
|
細佬
|
Guangzhou (Panyu)
|
細佬
|
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)
|
細佬
|
Guangzhou (Conghua)
|
細佬
|
Guangzhou (Zengcheng)
|
細佬
|
Foshan
|
細佬
|
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)
|
細佬
|
Foshan (Shunde)
|
細佬
|
Foshan (Sanshui)
|
細佬
|
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)
|
細佬
|
Zhongshan (Shiqi)
|
細佬
|
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)
|
細佬
|
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)
|
細佬
|
Zhuhai (Doumen)
|
細佬
|
Jiangmen (Baisha)
|
細佬
|
Jiangmen (Xinhui)
|
細佬
|
Taishan
|
細佬, 阿弟, 細, 弟
|
Kaiping (Chikan)
|
阿弟, 細佬
|
Enping (Niujiang)
|
阿弟
|
Heshan (Yayao)
|
細佬
|
Dongguan
|
細佬, 弟弟
|
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)
|
細佬
|
Shaoguan
|
細佬
|
Yangjiang
|
小弟
|
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
|
細佬
|
Singapore (Guangfu)
|
細佬
|
Gan
|
Nanchang
|
老弟, 兄弟
|
Lichuan
|
弟
|
Pingxiang
|
老弟
|
Hakka
|
Meixian
|
老弟, 老弟仔
|
Xingning
|
老弟, 老弟里
|
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)
|
老弟
|
Huiyang
|
老弟
|
Huidong (Daling)
|
老弟
|
Dongguan (Qingxi)
|
老弟
|
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)
|
老弟
|
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)
|
老弟
|
Wuhua (Shuizhai)
|
老弟
|
Wuhua (Huacheng)
|
老弟
|
Wuhua (Changbu)
|
老弟
|
Wuhua (Mianyang)
|
老弟
|
Wuhua (Meilin)
|
老弟
|
Heyuan (Bendihua)
|
老弟
|
Wengyuan
|
老弟
|
Shaoguan (Qujiang)
|
老弟
|
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)
|
老弟
|
Liannan
|
老弟
|
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)
|
弟弟
|
Jiexi
|
老弟
|
Luhe
|
老弟
|
Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)
|
阿弟
|
Changting
|
老弟
|
Wuping
|
老弟
|
Wuping (Yanqian)
|
老弟子
|
Wuping (Pingyu)
|
老弟子
|
Liancheng
|
老弟
|
Ninghua
|
老弟
|
Yudu
|
老弟
|
Ningdu
|
老弟
|
Ruijin
|
老弟
|
Shicheng
|
老弟
|
Shangyou (Shexi)
|
老弟
|
Tonggu (Sandu)
|
老弟
|
Ganzhou (Panlong)
|
老弟
|
Dayu
|
弟佬
|
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
|
老弟
|
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
|
老弟
|
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
|
老弟
|
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
|
老弟
|
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
|
老弟
|
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
|
阿弟
|
Hong Kong
|
老弟
|
Yangxi (Tangkou)
|
老弟
|
Yangchun (Sanjia)
|
細佬
|
Xinyi (Sihe)
|
老弟, 細佬
|
Xinyi (Qianpai)
|
老弟, 細佬
|
Gaozhou (Xindong)
|
老弟
|
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)
|
老弟
|
Huazhou (Xin'an)
|
老弟
|
Lianjiang (Shijiao)
|
老弟
|
Lianjiang (Qingping)
|
阿弟, 老弟
|
Mengshan (Xihe)
|
老弟
|
Luchuan
|
老弟
|
Sabah (Bao'an)
|
老弟
|
Sabah (Longchuan)
|
老弟
|
Senai (Huiyang)
|
老弟
|
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo)
|
老弟
|
Singkawang
|
阿弟, 老弟
|
Huizhou
|
Jixi
|
弟
|
Jin
|
Taiyuan
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Xinzhou
|
兄弟
|
Northern Min
|
Jian'ou
|
弟仔
|
Eastern Min
|
Fuzhou
|
依弟 face-to-face, 弟
|
Southern Min
|
Xiamen
|
小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
|
Quanzhou
|
小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
|
Zhangzhou
|
小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
|
Zhao'an
|
細弟仔, 細弟
|
Kaohsiung
|
小弟
|
Yilan
|
小弟
|
Changhua (Lukang)
|
小弟
|
Taichung
|
小弟
|
Taichung (Wuqi)
|
小弟
|
Tainan
|
小弟
|
Taitung
|
小弟
|
Hsinchu
|
小弟
|
Penghu (Magong)
|
小弟
|
Penang (Hokkien)
|
小弟, 阿棣
|
Singapore (Hokkien)
|
小弟, 阿弟 face-to-face
|
Manila (Hokkien)
|
小弟
|
Chaozhou
|
阿弟
|
Shantou
|
阿弟
|
Jieyang
|
阿弟
|
Haifeng
|
阿弟, 弟, 弟弟
|
Bangkok (Teochew)
|
阿弟
|
Johor Bahru (Teochew)
|
阿弟
|
Singapore (Teochew)
|
阿弟
|
Leizhou
|
老弟
|
Haikou
|
老弟 non-face-to-face, 阿弟 face-to-face
|
Zhongshan Min
|
Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)
|
細佬, 弟弟
|
Zhongshan (Sanxiang)
|
細佬
|
Southern Pinghua
|
Nanning (Tingzi)
|
老弟
|
Wu
|
Shanghai
|
弟弟, 阿弟, 兄弟
|
Shanghai (Chongming)
|
兄弟
|
Suzhou
|
兄弟, 弟弟
|
Danyang
|
弟子
|
Hangzhou
|
阿弟, 弟弟
|
Ningbo
|
阿弟, 弟弟 face-to-face
|
Wenzhou
|
阿弟
|
Jinhua
|
弟
|
Xiang
|
Changsha
|
老弟, 弟弟
|
Loudi
|
老弟
|
Shuangfeng
|
老弟, 弟弟
|
Hengyang
|
老弟
|
Pronoun
兄弟
- A humble term of self-address used by a man to people of the same generation.
Japanese
- (siblings, sisters): 姉妹
- (siblings, an elder brother and a younger sister): 兄妹
- (siblings, an elder sister and a younger brother): 姉弟
- (siblings, not gender-specific): きょうだい
Etymology
From 兄 (kyō, “elder brother”, Go-on) + 弟 (dai, “younger brother”, Go-on), from Middle Chinese 兄弟.
Alternatively, from 兄 (kei, “elder brother”) (Kan-on) + 弟 (tei, “younger brother”) (Kan-on), from Chinese 兄弟. Compare 兄妹 (keimai, “elder brother and younger sister”), 姉弟 (shitei, “elder sister and younger brother”), and 姉妹 (shimai, “elder and younger sisters”).
Pronunciation
Noun
兄弟 • (kyōdai) ←きやうだい (kyaudai)? (alternative reading hiragana けいてい, rōmaji keitei)
- brothers
- だんご三兄弟
- dango san kyōdai
- Dango three brothers
- (by extension) siblings in general
- 男兄弟
- otoko kyōdai
- brothers
- 女兄弟
- onna kyōdai
- sisters
- (by extension) brothers and sisters; brethren (brotherhood; fellowship)
Usage notes
- Note that the alternative forms listed above are used to be specific to the kinds of siblings.
- For the general "siblings" sense, hiragana may be used instead of kanji.
- The alternative spellings are only utilised for the siblings sense and may only be used with the pronunciation kyōdai
Hypernyms
Coordinate terms
See also
References
Korean
Noun
兄弟 • (hyeongje) (hangeul 형제)
- hanja form? of 형제 (“brother, brothers, sibling”)
Kunigami
Etymology
Cognate to Japanese 兄弟 (kyōdai).
Pronunciation
Noun
兄弟 (chōrē)
- siblings; brothers and sisters
Okinawan
Etymology
Cognate with Japanese 兄弟 (kyōdai).
Pronunciation
Noun
兄弟 (chōdē)
- siblings; brothers and sisters
Vietnamese
Noun
兄弟
- chữ Hán form of huynh đệ (“brothers”).