兄弟
xiōngdì/ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/
The English word 'brother' is translated into Chinese as 兄弟 (xiōngdì). Wiktionary also lists 弟弟 (dìdi).
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 兄弟 | xiōngdì | /ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɕyoŋ⁵⁵ ti²¹³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 弟弟 | dìdi | /ti⁵¹ d̥i¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /ti²¹⁴⁻²¹ ti³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, variant, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 阿兄 | a-hiaⁿ | /a⁴⁴⁻³³ hiã⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /a⁵⁵⁻³³ hiã⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 小弟 | sió-tī | /sio⁴⁴⁵⁻⁴⁴ ti²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Penang, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /sio⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ti³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Penang, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 兄弟 | hiaⁿ-tī | /hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ti²²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Tainan, Yilan, Kinmen, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Yongchun, Yongchun) /hiã³³⁻²¹ ti²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Tainan, Yilan, Kinmen, Singapore, Penang, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Yongchun) |
Hokkien |
| 哥哥 | ko–koh, ko-ko | /ko⁴⁴⁻³³ ko⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Penang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /ko³³ ko³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Penang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 兄哥 | hiaⁿ-ko | /hiã⁴⁴⁻³³ kɤ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Singapore, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Sinological IPA) /hiã⁴⁴⁻²² ko⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Singapore, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 大兄 | tōa-hiaⁿ | /tua²²⁻²¹ hiã⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) /tua⁴¹⁻²² hiã³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 大哥 | tōa-ko | /tua²²⁻²¹ ko⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /tua⁴¹⁻²² ko³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
The term 兄弟 can refer to a group of brothers or be used colloquially to refer to close male friends (similar to 'bros').
Which one should you use?
Use 哥哥 specifically for an older brother, whereas 弟弟 is used for a younger brother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
阿兄 is a familiar way to address a brother in Hokkien. 大哥 is often used colloquially to address an older male or to refer to a leader/boss in certain social contexts. The term 弟弟 is used to address a younger brother in an informal context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, you can use гәгә or щүнди for brother. In Hokkien, forms include 阿兄, 小弟, 兄弟, 哥哥, 兄哥, 大兄 and 大哥. In some regions, the term 哥 is used to address an older brother.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Mandarin, the term 哥哥 is often used as a title or a way to address an older brother directly, rather than just a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 兄弟 is xiōngdì.
Did you know?
- In the Dungan language, the terms гәгә and щүнди are written using the Cyrillic alphabet because Dungan is a Mandarin-based language spoken by the Hui people in Central Asia.
- While 哥哥 literally means 'older brother', it is sometimes used by women as a flirtatious or affectionate way to address a boyfriend or an older male love interest.
- In certain Chinese dialects and colloquialisms, a man might refer to himself as 小弟 (little brother) when speaking to someone older or more powerful to show humility and submission.
Examples in context
- 弟弟出去了。My little brother has gone out.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 弟弟.Tatoeba #13822753 by LeviHighway, translation #13822761 by frpzzd
- 她爱慕她哥哥。She adores her older brother.This sentence is useful for showing the use of 哥哥.Tatoeba #1883016 by sadhen, translation #469118 by CK
- 我哥哥是教授。My brother is a professor.Tatoeba #8696349 by crescat, translation #873456 by CM
- 哥哥，你好吗？ (Gēge, nǐ hǎo ma?)Hello, older brother, how are you?
- 哥哥，今天天气真好啊！ (Gēge, jīntiān tiānqì zhēn hǎo a!)Older brother, the weather is really nice today!
- 嘿，弟弟，我们一起去打篮球吧！ (Hēi, dìdi, wǒmen yìqǐ qù dǎ lánqiú ba!)Hey, little brother, let's go play basketball together!
- 我们是兄弟！ (Wǒmen shì xiōngdì!)We are brothers!
- 哥，你有什么打算？ (Gē, nǐ yǒu shénme dǎsuàn?)Brother, what are your plans?
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are discussing Wei's family members.
- 伟 Wei我有两个兄弟。Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè xiōngdì.I have two brothers.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你的兄弟都住在这里吗？Nǐ de xiōngdì dōu zhù zài zhèlǐ ma?Do your brothers all live here?
- 伟 Wei不，我的兄弟都在上海。Bù, wǒ de xiōngdì dōu zài Shànghǎi.No, my brothers are all in Shanghai.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那真可惜。Nà zhēn kěxī.That is a pity.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries 兄弟, 弟弟, 阿兄, 小弟, 兄弟, 哥哥, 兄哥, 大兄, 大哥, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
