Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| anh or anh trai | |
| em trai | [ʔɛm˧˧ t͡ɕaːj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɛm˧˧ ʈaːj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| em | [ʔɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɛm˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| anh em | [ʔajŋ̟˧˧ ʔɛm˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔɛɲ˧˧ ʔɛm˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
In Vietnamese, the term for brother depends on whether the person is older or younger than you. anh trai and em trai are used to specify a male sibling, while anh em is used to refer to brothers collectively or to describe a brotherly relationship.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrases anh trai and em trai, the word trai means male, so anh trai literally means "older male sibling" and em trai means "younger male sibling".
Which one should you use?
anh is used specifically for an older brother, whereas em trai is used to denote a younger brother. While em trai identifies a younger male sibling, the more general term em can refer to a younger sibling or any younger person.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual conversation, anh is often used alone as a pronoun to address an older brother or a slightly older male. Similarly, the term em can be used informally to address someone younger or of a similar age and it can be translated as "little brother" or "buddy" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word em can function as a standalone pronoun to refer to a younger brother or any younger person within a social hierarchy.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, a wife often calls her husband anh and a husband calls his wife em, even though these words literally mean 'older brother' and 'younger sibling'.
- The phrase anh em does not just refer to male siblings but can describe any close, brotherly bond between friends or comrades.
Examples in context
- Nó là em trai tôi.He's my younger brother.This sentence is useful for identifying a younger brother using em trai.Tatoeba #5758794 by yippe, translation #511852 by CK
- Tôi là em trai Tom.I'm Tom's brother.This sentence is useful for expressing a relationship to a younger brother using em trai.Tatoeba #9711953 by dotheduyet1999, translation #2235780 by CK
- Em trai tôi vẫn đang ngủ.My younger brother is still sleeping.This sentence is useful for describing the current state of a younger brother using em trai.Tatoeba #3839498 by letuananh, translation #1834955 by Tavat
- Tôi muốn nói với anh trai của tôi.I want to talk to my older brother.
- Anh ơi, anh đưa tôi đi chợ với nhé?Hey bro, can you take me to the market?
- Chị ơi, anh đi đâu rồi?Hey sis, where did our bro go?
- Em ở nhà một mình hay có anh chị ở cùng?Are you home alone or with your siblings?
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries em trai, em, anh em, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anh, anh em, em, em trai, trai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
