Bruder
/ˈbruːdɐ/
The German word Bruder means brother.
Bruder refers to a male sibling or a man who shares the same parents.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Swiss German, you might hear Dä Brüeder, whereas in Low German, the variation De Brudder is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Bruder is Brüder, which is formed by adding an umlaut to the u. To indicate possession in the singular (the genitive case), use Bruders.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbruːdɐ/
Did you know?
- While Bruder refers to a sibling, the term Bruderherz is a common, affectionate term used to address a brother, literally translating to 'brother heart'.
- The word Bruder is a doublet of the Latin word frater, meaning they both evolved from the same ancient root but took different phonetic paths into German and Latin.
- In certain religious contexts, such as in the Catholic or Protestant churches, Bruder is used as a formal title for a monk or a member of a religious order.
Examples in context
- Mein Bruder ist sehr nett.My brother is very nice.
- Mein Bruder wohnt in Berlin.My brother lives in Berlin.
- Hast du einen Bruder?Do you have a brother?
- Ich spiele mit meinem Bruder.I am playing with my brother.
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about their families at school.
- LukasHast du einen Bruder oder eine Schwester?Do you have a brother or a sister?
- HannahIch habe nur einen Bruder.I only have one brother.
- LukasIst dein Bruder älter als du?Is your brother older than you?
- HannahNein, er ist mein kleiner Bruder.No, he is my little brother.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Bruder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bruder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
