nwanne nwoke
The Igbo word for brother is nwanne nwoke.
nwanne nwoke is used to refer to a male sibling.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of nwanne (sibling) and nwoke (male).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase nwanne nwoke is used for both an older and a younger brother, as Igbo does not use different words for brother based on birth order in this specific construction.
Did you know?
- In some dialects, the concept of a 'brother' extends to anyone from one's own village or kin group, even without a biological link.
- In traditional Igbo society, the eldest brother often inherits the role of the father for his younger siblings after the father passes away.
- Because Igbo is a tonal language, the meaning of words derived from nwá can change significantly based on the pitch used.
Examples in context
- Chineke m, nwanne mMy goodness, my brother
- Nwanne nwoke m dị n'ụlọ.My brother is at home.
- Onye bụ nwanne nwoke gị?Who is your brother?
Example conversation
Ada is asking Emeka about his family.
- EmekaEmeka, ị nwere nwanne nwoke?Emeka, do you have a brother?
- AdaEe, enwere m nwanne nwoke ọtu.Yes, I have one brother.
- EmekaOlee aha nwanne nwoke gị?What is your brother's name?
- AdaAha ya bụ Obi.His name is Obi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
