frate
[ˈfra.te]masculine
The Romanian word for brother is frate.
frate is a masculine noun used to refer to a male sibling. You may also encounter the idiom frate de arme, which is used to describe a comrade or a brother in arms.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Romanian, the form of the word changes based on its role in a sentence. Adding the suffix -le to frate creates the definite form fratele, meaning 'the brother'. The form fratelui is used in the dative/genitive case to mean 'to the brother' or to indicate possession. For the plural, frații is used for 'the brothers' in the nominative/accusative, while fraților is used for 'to the brothers' in the dative/genitive case. Related verbs include înfrăți and fraterniza, which mean 'to treat as a brother'.
Did you know?
- In casual street slang, frate is used as a generic term for 'dude' or 'bro' to address friends and strangers alike, regardless of whether they are related.
- The word frate comes from the Latin frāter, making it a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'fraternity'.
- In religious contexts, frate is the standard title used to address a monk in the Orthodox Church, similar to 'Brother' in English.
Examples in context
- Eu un frate am.I have a brother.Tatoeba #12914446 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #2358668 by CK
- I-ai spus fratelui tău?Did you tell it to your brother?This sentence shows the use of frate in the dative/genitive form fratelui.Tatoeba #8979807 by elenacristina260, translation #8979545 by mccarras
- El este fratele lui Taro.He is Taro's brother.This sentence shows the use of frate in its definite form fratele.Tatoeba #4831869 by AlbertaJ, translation #301146 by CN
- Am vorbit cu fratele meu la telefon.I talked to my brother on the phone.
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andreea and Gabriel are talking about their family at a cafe.
- AndreeaAi un frate?Do you have a brother?
- GabrielDa, am un frate mai mare.Yes, I have an older brother.
- AndreeaCum se numește fratele tău?What is your brother's name?
- GabrielFratele meu se numește Victor.My brother's name is Victor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries frate, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frate, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
