Chinese word

大哥

Pronunciation

Pinyindà gē

Meaning

  • nounbig brother

Example

大哥，你先来吧。dà gē nǐ xiān lái ba

Big brother, you go first.

Illustration for 大哥 (big brother)

More examples

遇到困难，他会向大哥求助。yù dào kùn nán tā huì xiàng dà gē qiú zhù

When he encounters difficulties, he asks big brother for help.

Core concept

A familiar older male who combines the closeness of family with the standing of a respected senior.

Common phrases

  • 向大哥学习xiàng dà gē xué xí

    learn from big brother

  • 向大哥求助xiàng dà gē qiú zhù

    ask big brother for help

  • 尊敬大哥zūn jìng dà gē

    respect big brother

Similar words

哥哥gē gē: A word for a brother who is older by age and related by blood.
先生xiān shēng: A polite name used to address a man.

Definition in Chinese

用于口语中称呼比自己年长且关系亲近或受人尊重的男性，也可作为对年长男性的敬称。yòng yú kóu yǔ zhōng chēng hū bǐ zì jǐ nián zhǎng qiě guān xì qīn jìn huò shòu rén zūn zhòng de nán xìng yě kě zuò wéi duì nián zhǎng nán xìng de jìng chēng

Word origin

The compound 大 (dà, "big") + 哥 (gē, "older brother") combines age with an older-brother role, so the family term extends to respected senior men outside the family.

Usage tips

  • For English-speaking learners, this familiar address can refer to an older man outside the family, while a formal setting usually calls for a more neutral respectful form.

Other meanings

  • bossnoun

Opposites

  • 小弟xiǎo dìyounger brothernoun

Word lists with this word