Chinese word

兄弟

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiōng dì

Meaning

  • nounbrother

Example

我有两个兄弟，一个在北京，一个在上海。wǒ yǒu liǎng gè xiōng dì yí gè zài běi jīng yí gè zài shàng hǎi

I have two brothers, one in Beijing and one in Shanghai.

Illustration for 兄弟 (brother)

More examples

虽然不是亲生的，他们却像兄弟一样亲密。suī rán bú shì qīn shēng de tā men què xiàng xiōng dì yí yàng qīn mì

Although they are not biological brothers, they are as close as brothers.

Core concept

A family bond between males that also names a close, supportive social bond.

Common phrases

  • 有兄弟yǒu xiōng dì

    have brothers

  • 两个兄弟liǎng gè xiōng dì

    two brothers

  • 亲兄弟qīn xiōng dì

    biological brothers

Similar words

哥哥gē gē: An older male sibling in a family.
弟弟dì di: A younger male sibling in a family.
兄弟姐妹xiōng dì jiě mèi: Siblings of any gender, considered as a group.
亲人qīn rén: A close family member related by blood.

Definition in Chinese

指有共同父母或血缘关系的男性，也可在口语中泛指关系亲近、互相扶持的伙伴，网络语境下有时不严格区分性别。zhǐ yǒu gòng tóng fù mǔ huò xuè yuán guān xì de nán xìng yě kě zài kóu yǔ zhōng fàn zhǐ guān xì qīn jìn hù xiāng fú chí de huǒ bàn wǎng luò yǔ jìng xià yǒu shí bù yán gé qū fēn xìng bié

Word origin

兄 (xiōng, "older brother") + 弟 (dì, "younger brother") joins the two male sibling roles to form the general word for brothers, and the combined word also applies to close companions.

Usage tips

  • As a form of address, this word sounds casual and signals solidarity, so it is less suitable for formal introductions or respectful address to a senior person.

Other meanings

  • buddynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word