Chinese word

弟

Pronunciation

Pinyindì

Meaning

  • nounyounger brother

Example

你的弟几岁了？nǐ de dì jǐ suì le

How old is your younger brother?

Illustration for 弟 (younger brother)

More examples

他和弟弟一起去公园。tā hé dì di yì qǐ qù gōng yuán

He goes to the park with his younger brother.

Core concept

A male family member who comes later in birth order than the speaker or another person.

Common phrases

  • 和弟弟一起hé dì di yì qǐ

    with one's younger brother

  • 家里有弟弟jiā lǐ yǒu dì di

    have a younger brother at home

Similar words

弟弟dì di: An affectionate everyday term for a younger brother.
哥哥gē gē: A male sibling who is older than the speaker or another person.
妹妹mèi mèi: A female sibling who is younger than the speaker or another person.
兄弟xiōng dì: A general term for siblings as a group.

Definition in Chinese

用来称呼比说话人或被指者年纪小的男性亲属，通常指家中的年下兄弟。yòng lái chēng hū bǐ shuō huà rén huò bèi zhǐ zhě nián jì xiǎo de nán xìng qīn shǔ tōng cháng zhǐ jiā zhōng de nián xià xiōng dì

Word origin

In early Chinese, 弟 (dì, "younger brother") named the younger male in a family birth order, and this use became the modern kinship noun.

Usage tips

  • Chinese kinship nouns often show age order and gender directly, while English usually adds separate words to express these details.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word